


NiteSiren

by Cate Shaw (Bluebell84)



Category: Panic At The Disco, brendon urie - Fandom
Genre: Donuts, F/M, Phone Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-09-01 14:07:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 45,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20259325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluebell84/pseuds/Cate%20Shaw
Summary: Maggie Wynn was a donut hustler by day and a phone sex goddess by night.  When her dreams of becoming a movie star didn't pan out and every role went to someone else, she threw the towel in and did her best to make ends meet so she and her loyal pooch Duke didn't have to live couch to couch.When one call sticks with her, she has a hard time getting "B" out of her head.  "B" turns out to be the one and only Brendon Urie, of Panic! at the Disco fame.Brendon doesn't know her truth and she's torn between being honest and keeping "B" during their now nightly calls.  Does "B" love Maggie or her phone sex persona, Lana?





	1. "B"

Wiping down the last used booth, I turned my head to the side, cracking my neck. My shoulders felt tense and my feet were killing me. I glanced down at my watch and took another look around the diner to make sure everyone was gone before locking the entrance and tugging on the chain for the neon open sign, turning it off.

Steve began mopping the black and white checkered floors and I picked up each of the red vinyl chairs one by one, turning them upside down and placing them onto the tables for him.

"And that's all she wrote," Steve nodded at me, pushing the mop around the legs of one of the tables.

I nodded back, giving him a tiny salute and began to remove the apron around my waist. "And that's all she wrote," I agreed.

"See you Sunday, kiddo." Steve didn't look back once, determined to get the whites of the flooring as clean as possible.

I hung my apron behind the counter of the diner and grabbed my purse. In my head, I mentally calculated my hours for today. Gayle needed me to cover her shift this morning and then after my class in the afternoon I completed another six hours. Patting the wad of cash in my back pocket, I stepped out into the night out the back door.

The air was cool and welcoming. The diner's AC was always running, but going from table to table all day is enough to make anyone sweat. I lifted my arms, resting them on top of my head as I made my way to my car in the back lot, the cool breeze feeling good.

Once I was safely in my car with the doors locked, I counted the tips I had made. A whole forty dollars and two dimes. I rolled my eyes, trying not to feel bitter. A twelve hour day and forty dollars? I stuffed the cash into my purse and carefully pulled out of the parking lot of The Donut Hole.

***

Duke, my rescue English bulldog, greeted me as I put the key into the lock of my apartment. As quickly as I could, I entered and locked the door behind me, trying my best to hush Duke.

"Shhh, shh, stinky boy! It's just momma," I laughed, kneeling down to kiss him. 

Duke popped up, his front paws on my shoulder, licking my face. 

"Did you miss me," I cooed to him in my best baby voice. "Yes, my baby boy did miss me. I missed you too, stinky."

I dropped my purse to the couch and kicked my high tops off. My stomach was growling but I desperately wanted to take a shower first to wash off the grime of the day. Duke followed me into the bathroom and I pulled back the shower curtain, starting the water.

"What'd you do today, Dukey? Have a good nap? Lick your balls?" I scratched his head as I passed him, making my way to my bedroom.

My roommate, Ethan's bedroom door was closed. I didn't recall if I saw his car out front or not. I gave his door a light tap and pressed my ear to it.

"Ethan?" I jiggled the knob and it opened, the room unoccupied. I closed it again and glanced down at Duke who was right on my heels as always.

"Just us tonight, eh?" I smiled at his goofy face.

I stripped out of my clothes as Duke jumped up to my unkempt bed. 

He was eager to jump back down when he realized I was leaving the room again, but I held a finger up. "I'll be right back, stay."

Covering my lady bits, one arm across my tits and a hand over my downstairs, I rushed to the bathroom, just in case Ethan was actually home and I somehow missed him. Not that it'd be the first time he saw me naked.

After a quick shower, I plopped myself onto my bed with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my lap. A towel was wrapped around my head keeping my damp shoulder length hair from soaking my shirt.

Duke rested his head on my crossed ankles, his eyes watching every bite I took. I tore off a small piece and tossed it his way.

"No more," I playfully glared before unlocking my phone.

I found the NiteSirens app and logged in. Now I wait.

Leaning back, I enjoyed my dinner, as simple as it was. 

Within two minutes, I got a call. 

I took a quick drink of my milk and cleared my throat before answering.

Starting with a shy giggle, I said, "Hello? This is Lana."

Duke raised his head, blinked hard, then settled back down. He was used to my Siren voice by now.

The voice on the line was gruff and heavy. His breath was already erratic. "Oh god, Lana? Is that what you said?"

"Mmhmm. What's your name?" I was really hitting hard with the sultry voice. 

A groan escaped before he could answer. "Name's Kent. How big are your tits?"

I gave him my usual answer of 32 C and he groaned again.

"Oh fuck. Touch 'em. Squeeze 'em."

"I am, baby. I wish you were here to touch them." I sneakily took another bite of my sandwich before tossing the rest to Duke.

"Oh fuck, Lana..."

I knew this was going to be a quick one. Before I could reply, he hung up.

Dammit.

Win some, lose some. But at least I had more money now than I did a minute ago. Sort of.

I had no plans the next day other than a party in the evening, so I was fine staying up all night and sleeping in until noon. I took three more calls, none of them longer than fifteen minutes, before considering calling it a night. My calls usually averaged around twenty minutes, so I couldn't complain, especially since I was tired from working all day, plus my drama class. 

Ethan sent me a text just before I turned off the lamp next to my bed.

Ethan: That last one was a doozy. 

Me: When did you get home?

Ethan: About half an hour ago.

Me: Night

I shook my head but laughed. Ethan never complained and I was pretty sure he secretly enjoyed hearing my usually fake sexual moans through the wall. I say usual because every now and then, and don't judge, I'm only human, every now and then, there will be a call that gets to me. Those, obviously, are my favorites, but they're rare.

It was a little past midnight when my next call came through. I stifled a yawn and refocused. I'd take one more then be done until next time.

"Hello? This is Lana," I said sweetly. "What's your name?"

The voice on the other end cleared itself before replying. "Uh, hi. Do you need to know my name?"

"Not at all, but it's definitely more fun to have a name to shout out," I giggled.

"Heh, yeah. Can you just call me B? Is that okay?"

He sounded younger than my usual calls. Typically, my calls were older men who had a hard time getting dates. Nothing against them, they helped pay my bills, but hearing a voice a little closer to my own age was exciting.

"B, I like that. How are you doing tonight?" Duke suddenly hopped off the bed and nosed the bottom of the bedroom door with a whine.

I climbed down off my bed, keeping my phone to my ear. Opening the door, Duke and I headed to the back of the house so I could let him out into the yard for his last pee of the day.

"Not too bad. How about you, Lana?"

I smiled, finding the small talk refreshing. Everyone so far this evening had wanted to get straight to the point, which made me wonder if this was B's first time calling NiteSirens.

"I'm a little sleepy but a little horny at the same time," I confessed as I sat on the back steps waiting for Duke, balancing the towel full of hair on my head.

Bed springs on the other end squeaked and I smiled knowing my words had caused him to shift a little.

"Good thing I called then," he replied, his voice a little deeper.

Duke made his way back up the steps, panting, looking for a treat.

I stood and he followed me in where I grabbed a small treat off the top of the refrigerator and tossed it to him.

"I'm very glad you called, B. Your voice is very sexy."

Down the hall, Ethan came out of his room with an empty bottle of beer in his hand. He mouthed 'sorry' and pressed himself against the walls as I passed him. He knew to stay quiet when I was on a call, bless him. I gave him a wink as I shut my bedroom door once Duke hopped back onto the bed.

"Yours is too, Lana. Very sexy. What do you look like? Can I ask that?"

I giggled. "Of course, B. You can ask me anything you want, really."

I sat up in bed, my back to the headboard. "I have long blonde hair," I lied, "and bright green eyes. My skin is lightly sun-kissed. Does that help?"

B made a soft noise. "It does. You sound beautiful. Your description matches your voice."

I smirked. In reality, my hair was black, and I was very fair-skinned, but whatever. Blondes were always more favored and I wanted to make this one count. If I played my cards right, I could make more than I did at The Donut Hole in a fraction of the time.

"I'm so happy you're pleased," I cooed. "Tell me about yourself, B."

"Ah, I don't know, I'm pretty average, I guess. Dark hair and dark eyes."

"Honestly, that's my favorite combination," I told him. 

I playfully poked Duke in the butt with my toes and he huffed once. I held back a smile and focused back on B.

"Are you horny, B? Please say you're horny," I moaned.

A nervous laugh came from him. "I guess so. Sorry, I've never done this before. I don't mean to laugh, it's just awkward for me."

Called it.

"You're fine sweetie. Let me take care of you. If I were with you right now, what would you want me to be doing?"

More bed springs squeaked. 

"Hmm. Would you strip for me? Slowly?"

"Are you in bed?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"Perfect. I'm at the end of your bed with my back to you. I'm wearing a satin red halter dress, one that ties behind my neck. I'm reaching up behind and I tug on it, loosening it."

I listened to his breathing for a second before continuing.

"The top falls and I pull the rest down, bending over and stepping out of it. B?"

"Yes?"

"Just making sure you're still there," I smiled. "I'm not wearing anything underneath except for stockings and black stilettos."

He cleared his throat. "That sounds nice... what else?"

"I slowly turn toward you, running my hands down myself. Are you touching yourself, B?"

"Am I supposed to?"

His answer took me by surprise. "Only if you feel like it."

"I am. Are you touching yourself?"

I wasn't, but I told him I was. 

"I want to touch you, Lana," he said softly.

I found myself licking my lips. His voice was so dark now and stirring me up inside. 

"Should I leave my heels on, B?"

Another guttural noise. "Yes, fuck."

"My hands are on my breasts and slowly moving down over my tight tummy."

I was actually moving my hand now, down my stomach. I guessed it was going to be one of those calls.

"Lana," he said softly.

"Yes, B?"

"Nothing, keep going, sorry."

"I'm touching myself further now. I'm wet," I gently gasped. "Just thinking of you is making me wet, B," I sighed.

B's breathing grew faster. "I want you here," he barely whispered and I closed my eyes.

"I don't think I can stand here much longer, B. Can I get into bed with you?"

"Lana?"

My eyes opened. "Hmm?"

"Are you really touching yourself? I want you to."

I swallowed hard, looking down. My fingers were teasing the elastic band of my panties. "I am," I said lowly. "I wish it were you," I sighed softly.

"What exactly are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm in my bed, too, and I have my hand over my cunt because of you, B."

"Are you really wet?"

Something about the way he said that got me breathing harder. I indeed was wet now. My panties were growing damp.

Licking my lips again, I answered him with a gentle whimpers. "Yes, you're making me wet."

"I want to feel it," he groaned. "I bet you taste good."

"Oh, B, god," I laughed, biting my lip. "You're good," I admitted. 

B laughed on the other end, a low but melodic chuckle. "Lana, you're driving me crazy right now. How are you doing this?"

I found myself slinking down into the bed, stretching out, my hand down my panties now.

"Where are you?" he suddenly asked.

It wasn't the first time someone asked. I told him what I told the others, that I was in New York, when I really resided in LA.

"Okay," he sounded defeated. "Tell me about your mouth."

"My mouth? I have a pretty big smile. My lips are full."

B's breathing was still heavy. "I'm picturing your smile. You sound perfect. I want to fuck your mouth."

I moaned for him. "I'd swallow everything you gave me."

"Jesus, Lana," he groaned.

I circled my clit, excited by the noises he was making.

He fell quiet then. I knew he hadn't hung up because the dial tone never came.

"Lana?"

I removed my hand and turned over to my stomach, knowing he was finished. "Hmm?"

"Sorry, I had to grab some tissues. Uh, thank you," he laughed nervously. 

I smiled, glancing at the clock. "Of course, sweetie. I hope you'll call again, you're a lot of fun."

"How does this work now? I just hang up?"

"If you want to."

Duke was snoring by now and I prayed he wouldn't be too loud and overheard by B.

"What if I don't want to?" B asked.

I rolled to my side, moving the phone to my other ear. "Are you asking for another round?" I playfully laughed.

"Heh, no, just to chat. Is that okay? It doesn't feel right to just hang up." His bed springs squeaked.

Keeping up with my disguised and extra girly voice, I agreed. "Of course. I'd love to get to know each other better."

"It's pretty late in New York, isn't it? Are you sure? I really don't want to keep you."

I glanced at the clock and mentally calculated the time differences. He was right, it was nearly 3:30 in the morning for New Yorkers. 

"Don't you know, B? It's the city that never sleeps," I teased softly. "I have nowhere to be tomorrow, so I can sleep in."

Duke huffed and snorted, getting annoyed that I was still awake. I scratched his ear with my toes and shushed him.

"Seems LA doesn't really sleep either," B replied. I could hear rustling on his end and he didn't seem to be in bed anymore.

Turning to my side to get more comfortable, I was feeling less tired and kind of happy he wanted to chat. I enjoyed listening to his voice and knowing he was somewhat local was a bit exciting. "Oh, LA, nice. Are you visiting?"

"Just moved here, actually. I'd been renting and staying with friends for a while since I travel a lot for work, but I recently just got a dog, so, you know, I guess I wanted a little more stability. Plus, my landlord hated dogs."

"I love dogs! I have one myself." I nearly spoke in my normal tone with excitement.

B made a happy noise. "What kind?"

I rolled my eyes at myself, disappointed. Never give away personal information. I knew better, but it just slipped.

Again, I lied. "He's a mutt, I'm not really sure. Maybe half Jack Russell, half goat," I laughed at my own joke.

B joined, laughing as well. "My girl is a little Boston terrier. I call her Frankie, after Frank Sinatra."

I gushed, unable to help myself. "Aw, B, I love that. She sounds adorable."

B agreed and went into a baby voice, obviously speaking to his dog. "Yes, she's a sweet girl, she is!" He chuckled, then apologized. "Sorry, I can't help but turn into a puddle when she's around. She's so damn cute."

I smiled hard, my cheeks hurting. "Not many men would admit that, but I love it," I confessed. "My baby's name is D-... Derek." 

I scrunched up my nose, cringing, not liking the taste of that particular lie, but I had nearly called him Duke. Which I suppose wouldn't have been the end of the world. I doubt a Google search of "local Jack Russel by the name of Duke" would have given him any results of myself.

"Derek?" B asked, intrigued. "As in Derek Jeter?"

My eyes lit up. "Yes. Of course. Who else?"

"That's funny, we both named our dogs human names," he chuckled. "And after someone famous."

I bit my bottom lip. He was right, actually. Duke was named after John Wayne, someone my Dad was obsessed with. 

"I visit New York sometimes," B shared.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" I had never been.

I can only assume B nodded. "I love it. I miss it. I think I'm supposed to there again sometime before Christmas, but I can't remember the exact date."

My heart was beating a little harder. It sounded like he was trying to set up plans and I hated that I felt obligated to let him down easy. Time to change the subject.

"What is it that you do, B? You said you traveled a lot?"

A tiny growl on the other line was loud enough for Duke to raise his head and perk his ears up. Brendon made a similar noise and gave a small laugh. I knew he was playing with his dog and I was trying to picture it. In my head, he was tall and handsome with the dark hair and dark eyes he had described to me. I envisioned him tugging on a toy with Frankie and playfully wrestling.

"Yeah, I do. I do some work for a band. It's a fun job."

I knit my brows together, contemplating his answer, but I didn't push him for specifics.

"Working with a band, and a fan of Sinatra. Sounds like you really love music," I inquired.

"Who doesn't?"

"The town from Footloose?" I replied after thinking for a second.

B laughed suddenly, the sound boisterous and infectious. "Was it music or dancing? Both, I guess."

"Has to be. I haven't seen it in years. I used to watch it religiously every day for months. But I'm pretty sure it's both."

"It's been a few years since I've seen that one, too. My movie for a while was Pretty Woman," he laughed as he confessed.

I rolled over, smiling. "Oooh, I love that one. So romantic."

"I was like, 8 or 9 when I first saw it. First time I saw anything sexual like that."

"Yep, it does get pretty sexy."

"Then when I discovered Prince a few years later, I remembered that movie and that's when I started watching it, like, once a week."

I moaned lightly. "Prince. He was hot."

"I won't disagree with that. Julia Roberts singing Kiss in the bubble bath though, that's hot."

I laughed. "And I won't disagree with that."

B began singing Kiss, surprisingly well, his voice high to match Prince's. "Ain't no particular sign, I'm more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your..."

"Kiss," I finished for him, grinning.

B chuckled lightly, and sighed.

"You have a really nice voice, B," catching the tone in my own slipping again.

"Hah, thanks."

My eyes felt heavier by the second and I was stifling a yawn, no matter how hard I wanted to fight it.

"I'm serious, you sound really good," I remarked earnestly.

"Thanks, Lana. I appreciate it. And you, my dear, sound exhausted."

My eyes glanced to the clock again and holy hell, how did another hour pass already?

"Just a little, but I'm more than happy to keep chatting," I offered.

"I'm pretty tired myself. Thanks for staying up so late with me. I really enjoyed it."

I stretched, enjoying the satisfying release of tension across my back. I moaned a little, not meaning to. "I did too, B. Honestly."

"I hope you sleep well."

Smiling, I told him goodnight and ended the call. I hooked my phone up to the charger, shook my head loose from the towel I had around my hair, which was still damp, and curled into a ball and drifted off. 

I don't often remember my dreams, but the next morning I realized a very attractive man with a little Boston terrier had visited, and I woke up still smiling.


	2. Pepper Jack's

A typical Saturday evening would consist of a long night working at The Donut Hole. But considering one of my closest friends, Jacob Donnelly, who'd been living on the other side of the globe for over a year was back in town visiting for his birthday, I made sure Steve had plenty of help before asking for the night off. 

"You work too hard, kiddo," he had said when I made sure he was fine with it. "Sometimes I think you're trying to take over from me. Go be young, get yourself a boyfriend and break a few hearts while you're at it."

"I'm thirty-two, that's hardly young, Steve," I had smirked, raising my brows. 

Gayle interjected, "Sweetie, when I was thirty-two I had three kids under the age of 8. Please, go be young and enjoy the hell out of it for me!"

The party was being held at Pepper Jack's Bar and Grill, a two-story restaurant with one of the best bars in town. A reservation was nearly impossible to get, needing to be made almost a month in advance. How Jacob was able to get the entire restaurant to himself for the night was beyond me. The financing bizz must be treating him well.

I climbed out of my Uber, thanking the driver, and smoothed down the skirt of my dress. It hugged me nicely in the waist then flared out until just above my knees, the dark emerald color a stark contrast to my pale skin and dark hair. I don't usually like to wear heels, but I made an exception for Jacob and wore a pair of glittery silver pumps. I knew he'd approve.

Double checking the bandaids on my heels were not too obvious, I strolled carefully past the valet. The doorman stood before a sleek mirrored podium and glanced up at me quizzically. 

"Evening ma'am. Name please?"

"Maggie Wynn," I smiled, adjusting the small but beautifully wrapped gift in my arms, trying not to drop my silver clutch.

He scrolled down the list before lifting the page and scrolling down a second list.

Sheesh. Jacob had invited all of LA it seemed.

"Ah, here we are, Maggie Wynn." He stepped away and I followed him to the door, where he held it open for me.

Nodding courteously, I slipped past him and made my way in.

Pepper Jack's was known for their atmosphere almost as much as their gourmet burgers. It was as if TGI Friday's merged with a hoity toity Italian restaurant. One owned by a multi-billionaire. The most random things were nailed up on the wall; a kayak, a red tricycle, an assortment of piggy banks, and there was even a wall of wigs.

I immediately saw a few people I knew and joined into an easy conversation with them, catching up on their lives. Some have had kids since I'd last seen them. Some booked small roles in television series that were canceled shortly after their premiere. And some were nannies, making ends meet between auditions.

LA living wasn't for everyone.

I had never been to Pepper Jack's before and I was trying my hardest to pay attention to the conversation of everyone while taking in the setting of the absurd yet popular restaurant. The far back wall before the restaurant split into the bathrooms and kitchen was lined with vintage jukeboxes, only the one in the center of them all actually working. Speakers all around the establishment amplified the music to every corner. 

Dolly Parton was crooning when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders, squeezing me hard. My gift and clutch were slipping but someone took them before they could fall. I laughed, hanging onto the forearms under my chin as Jacob kissed the back of my head.

"You slut, I'm so happy you're here!" He screeched, turning me around by the shoulders.

Jacob's look was the epitome of a rich frat boy. He never grew out of the trust-fund-kid look, his hair slicked back nicely and his face smoothly shaved. His aftershave was overpowering, but it smelled nice. He was wearing a very expensive looking pair of jeans with a pink blazer jacket.

I hugged my friend hard, wrapping my arms around him. Jacob and I met at auditions when I was couch hopping, not having a place of my own just yet. He invited me to stay with him until I found my own place. He only auditioned for movies out of sheer boredom. But he did help me a lot with preparing monologues and would never take a penny from me for letting me stay with him. That was ten years ago but he feels like a brother, someone who has always been cheering me on since day one.

"Hey whore," I kissed his cheek before shoving his present into his chest. "Happy Birthday!"

My clutch was handed back to me by the blonde I'd been chatting with, Jess, who was a friend of Erika, another friend I'd met through auditions. Erika didn't act anymore. Instead she took care of her two kids while her husband played a doctor on the daytime soap, Until Eternity. 

"Ooh, shall I save this for later?" He eyed the gift, wiggling his eyebrows provocatively. 

I rolled my eyes. He always sent me sex toys for my birthday as a prank ever since I jokingly swore off men, stating the Adult Toy Emporium had everything I needed. But I never had the courage to step foot in there by myself.

Playfully, I smacked his arm. "It's a tie, don't get too excited."

"Ooooh," he stretched the vowel loudly.

Jacob complimented my dress and we grabbed a drink at the bar before sitting at a table with some other friends of his. 

A guy at our table had his arm around a girl and clearly they were together. But since he had dark eyes and dark hair, I kept glancing his way. I couldn't help it. He was good looking and I wasn't trying to make eyes with him, I was just curious. He reminded me of the guy I chatted on the phone with the night before and after having a pleasant dream about him, he wasn't far from my mind. My curiosity had grown and I found myself staring at him, wondering if he was B, remembering he had said he lived in LA. Dark hair and dark eyes were hardly rare, in fact, there were several men at the party with them. But he was sitting still and within my line of sight.

He noticed me looking at him and I cringed with embarrassment, looking away quickly. I felt my neck heating up. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, his hands gripping the neck of his beer bottle. I looked back at him quickly and he slowly smiled my way. His date was oblivious.

Jacob stole my attention suddenly, by elbowing my arm. "Hey, slut," he whispered. "He's not good enough for you, trust me."

Knitting my brows together, I scoffed. "What are you talking about?"

"Trust me. Chad is notorious for cheating."

"Well, thanks for the warning, but I'm not even doing anything," I shrugged.

Jacob grabbed the legs of my chair and pulled me closer to his, slinging an arm across my shoulders. "You don't have to do a thing, that's the problem with Chad. If it has a heartbeat, he'll fuck it."

I laughed and took another sip of my drink, avoiding Chad's gaze as best as I could. I felt a little better being closer to Jacob. 

Jacob ordered everyone at the table another round, eliciting cheers and 'happy birthdays' from his friends. The restaurant grew more crowded by the minute and every once in a while Jacob had a birthday gift placed in front of him. A waitress dressed in a white blouse and a purple bow tie would always whisk the gift away after he opened it, I suppose storing it someplace safe for after the party.

I could feel a buzz growing slowly and I was having a great time just mingling with friends and laughing with great music playing in the background. Tables had been pushed out of the way and a few people were dancing, but everyone was drinking and enjoying the good company.

Jacob gasped and elbowed me again. "Maggie," he hissed quietly, causing me to dart my eyes to him instantly. "You'll never guess who's here. Holy shit..." he trailed off, leaning back and letting out a deep breath.

Someone was excited.

I casually looked around in the general direction Jacob was staring at but all I saw was a group of people sitting at the end of the table across from ours. I shrugged and looked back to my friend.

"Who is it?" I placed a hand on his thigh, trying to keep from giggling at the face he was making.

"Margaret Marie Wynn. You have got to be fucking joking me right now. At the end there," Jacob glared at me, then shot daggers with his eyes to the other table.

I tried to get a better look without being obvious. I recognized them because I had hung out with them before with Jacob, except, I realized, one of them. I recognized him but not because he was an acquaintance. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him.

Jacob, impatient and annoyed with my cluelessness nudged me with his elbow. "It's Brendon Urie, slut. Atmyfuckingbirthdayparty!" His voice grew high and his face was losing color.

"Jake, you need to breathe, in and out," I laughed. "I don't know who he is, but why don't you go talk to him?"

Jacob cocked his head. "You are ridiculous but adorable. You know Panic! at the Disco, Maggie. Brendon, the singer, he's here. With Craig, I guess, I don't know. I didn't know Craig had connections..." his voice trailed off as he got lost in thought.

I did know of the band he mentioned, so it was pretty cool that he was there and I loved watching Jacob basically fanboy himself to death. 

"I need to go talk to Craig, do not get sucked into Chad's charm, okay?"

Before I could even answer, he was gone, snaking his way through his guests toward Craig.

I started to stand to get myself another drink when someone sat next to me, taking Jacob's seat. It was Chad and he immediately draped an arm around my shoulders.

"You look like you're having a good time. Friend of Jacob's?"

"Very much so," I replied, staying seated.

Despite Jacob's warning, I flirted mercilessly with Chad. According to him, he was there alone. The girl he had been sitting next to was 'just a cute chick' he thought he might go home with, that was, until he saw me. I was getting too drunk to care about how misogynistic he sounded, and he was hot. Maybe he was a serial cheater, but I wasn't looking for a commitment anyway, so what did it matter.

A boisterous laugh rose from the other table, distracting us, and I caught Jacob's gaze as he laughed. He shook his head at me as he was laughing and waved me over.

"You're being beckoned, it would appear." Chad commented.

"I'll be right back," I assured him, enjoying the nice eye fucking he was giving me as I rose from my seat.

Silently cursing Jacob for making me walk more in my heels, I rounded the tables until I was by his side. They were still in the middle of a conversation and I noticed the guy Jacob was going bananas over had a really cute smile as he listened intently to whatever joke Jacob was telling. I glanced him over. Dark brown hair combed back into a messy pompadour and big brown eyes were the first thing I noticed, curse the call from last night. I had to get him out of my damn head. 

Jacob must've gotten to the punchline of his joke because the whole table laughed again. One laugh in particular stood out. It was the same infectious burst I had heard over the phone when chatting with B.


	3. Kiss

I stopped my jaw from dropping and swallowed hard. My mind had to be playing tricks on me. B had really gotten to me.

"Oh, Maggie," Jacob finally acknowledged me, knowing full well I was standing next to him. "You've met Craig before, I think? This is Brendon. Brendon, this is Maggie, my sister from another mister."

We both extended our hands and politely shook. 

"Nice to meet you," I smiled.

He smiled back warmly. "You, too."

I felt my cheeks blush. My body wanted so badly for him to be B. 

"You're welcome," Jacob raised his brows to me.

Brendon and I, as well as Craig, glanced at him, confused.

"Bitch, I just saved you from Chad."

"Oh, god. How did he end up here?" Craig chuckled. Clearly Chad's reputation preceded him.

"Who's Chad?" Brendon grinned with a cute side smile.

"Sit," Jacob pulled a chair out for me and commanded me to take it. 

I saw Chad watching from his seat, waiting for me to return. "Jake, he looks so sad," I laughed as I sat.

"No, girl, he's gross," Jacob sat next to me and leaned in. "He must've heard about the party and came as a plus one. I did not invite him and I hope he leaves without a victim."

"You've got to be exaggerating. He can't be that bad." I was close to scolding Jacob.

"I wish I were, Mags. Why are you so horny for him, good god." 

I laughed, embarrassed to be having this kind of discussion in front of Craig and Brendon, but they seemed very invested in my answer.

"I don't know, I'm a sucker for dark hair and dark eyes, I guess," I answered vaguely.

Jacob held out both hands, gesturing to Brendon. "Well, here, Brendon has both of those and he's a lot nicer."

That same boisterous laugh came from Brendon and my heart was pounding hard. 

Last night's entire conversation replayed in my head in a jumble. His laugh, his moan, talking about our dogs, how he said he worked with a band....

He works with a band, oh shit. It was feeling more real by the second.

"Jake, I love you, but you're drunk, darling."

"It's his birthday, it'd be sad if he wasn't drunk," Craig interjected. "I'm getting us shots."

Craig retreated to the bar and Chad took the opportunity to join us, pushing away from his table and heading over to ours.

"Oh fuck, he's coming over here. Brendon, put your arm around Maggie, please for the love of god hurryupdoit."

Brendon laughed but obeyed after giving me an apologetic look. He pulled me in, his arm around my waist. I couldn't help but laugh. I didn't need Jacob or Brendon to save me, but I wasn't going to fight them.

"Hey doll," Chad greeted me as he sat next to Brendon. He eyed Brendon's hand on my side and cocked a jealous brow.

"Hey Chad, this is my date, Brendon. I'd been waiting for him to show up and he's finally here," I playfully smacked Brendon's shoulder.

"Traffic, you know," Brendon shrugged.

Chad cocked his head. "I just watched you two shake hands like you just met..."

Jacob, Brendon, and I were silent for a second before Jacob busted out laughing. "It's a thing they do every time," he had tears in his eyes from laughing. Damn, he really could act.

Brendon and I both chuckled, a little disturbed by Jacob's laugh.

"Yeah, every time he's running late, I pretend it's our first time meeting. It's a weird inside joke kind of thing," I shrugged.

"Sorry, babe. Won't happen again," Brendon smiled at me and planted a tiny kiss on my lips, much to my surprise.

Jacob stopped laughing, stunned. Then laughed again. The man was definitely drunk.

"Oh my lord, this is the best birthday ever," he said to himself.

Craig returned with the shots and cleared his throat, gaining Chad's attention.

"Oh, sorry dude. Nice to meet you two," Chad addressed Brendon and I before rising. He gave me a wink before walking off toward a group of women hanging around the bar.

Craig passed out the shots, two a person. Brendon removed his hand from my waist, but left it on the back of my seat. I guess when you pretend to be someone's date, an instant bond is formed.

"Happy Birthday Jacob, may this next year of your life put your earlier years to shame. I love you and I'm so blessed to call you my friend," I toasted, raising my first shot.

Everyone within earshot cheered and we threw back the liquor, one glass at a time.

"Oh my god, Brenda is here! You guys enjoy the party, please stay all night and if you need a ride, I'll cover your Ubers, okay? Love you all! Especially you, Brendon!" Jacob ran off to great a group of friends who just showed up.

A waitress came by asking if we needed refills on anything and we each ordered beers.

Craig was sweet, asking me about any upcoming auditions remembering the last time we met I had a pretty important one coming up. I lost the role to Amanda Seyfried, but hey. Win some, lose some. Or in my case, lose some, lose some more.

"Oh, are you an actress? That's fun!" Brendon shifted, turning himself toward me.

I made a face, scrunching my nose and he grinned. "Not really. I've done a few commercials but nothing major. It's not easy. I mostly waitress now and --" I caught myself from sharing way too much information. 

There were only two people in my life who knew about my side job; Ethan and Jacob. It wasn't that I was ashamed, it was just easier that way.

"And," I continued, "raise my pup."

Brendon's eyes lit up. "What kind of pup?"

The waitress returned with our drinks and we thanked her, returning to our conversation.

"An English Bulldog named Duke," I smiled. It felt good to be truthful when talking about Duke. He was very much my baby. I took a large swig of my beer, feeling proud.

Craig gushed. "My grandparents had a bulldog when I was growing up. Coolest dogs ever. Brendon just got a dog," he handed the conversation over to his friend who seemed very eager to brag.

"I did," Brendon smiled from ear to ear. "She's a Boston Terrier."

I choked, beer dribbling down my chin. Coughing hard, I wiped my lips with the back of my wrist. "Wrong pipe," I coughed out, wanting to die right then. "Sorry!"

Craig handed me a napkin and I thanked him with a nod. I dabbed my chin and my dress, lightly whining about the spilled beer on my chest. I loved this dress and I only had two, this one being my favorite.

I excused myself to the restroom to clean it up. 

Brendon and Craig watched me as I did my best to walk tall and not trip over my own feet.

****

After I cleaned myself up and refreshed my lipstick, I did my best to slap some sense into myself.

Boston Terriers were not that rare. Dark haired and dark eyed men who 'worked for a band' and lived in LA with their Boston Terriers were not rare. It's LA, come on. You either were living there for the movie scene or the music scene. 

I took a deep breath and left the restroom, one foot in front of the other, passing the wall of vintage jukeboxes.

Stopping in my tracks, I took a glance at the table Brendon sat at. He was deep in conversation with Craig and a few other people that had gathered around them. The seat I had been in was no longer vacant, so I didn't feel obligated to return to them.

I opened my clutch and fingered through the contents, looking for change. I had a few quarters on hand, so I made my way to the one working jukebox and scrolled through my options, slowly. Tapping my toes to Queen already blasting, I turned each page after perusing the CDs. I was killing time before making my way back to everyone, not exactly ready to face Brendon. I wasn't completely convinced he was B. I think part of me wanted him to be because he seemed sweet and he was definitely sexy.

A black and white cover caught my eye and I felt something somewhat evil brewing inside of me. It was Prince's album for Parade which contained the song "Kiss." Dare I? I debated internally. I couldn't just play that song. It'd be too obvious. I really wanted to see Brendon's reaction though. Anxiety was eating me up. I had to do it.

I popped four quarters in. I randomly hit different combinations for the first two songs, then made Kiss the third song before randomly hitting another combo of numbers and letters. My breathing was getting shallow and I felt like I needed to sit. I laughed at myself for being so damn ridiculous.

There was no way Brendon was B. Unless he worked with a band, had dark hair and dark eyes, a Boston Terrier named Frankie, and maybe reacted in some way to Prince singing Kiss the night after having phone sex involving the same song.

All quarters were used, so I spun around to basically sprint away from the scene of the crime only to walk straight into Brendon's chest. My lips left a big red print on his crisp white dress shirt. He grabbed me by the elbows to steady me as my ankles decided to give.

"Whoa!" He laughed, holding me up. "Sorry! I was coming to offer you some more quarters."

I stared up at him, my eyes lingering a little too long on his mouth. His lips were so pretty. It was sort of unfair.

"It's fine," I chuckled nervously, smoothing my dress out as he let me go.

Brendon straightened his black tie, glancing down at the mess I left on him.

"I'm so sorry," I laughed in spite of myself, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Ah, it's fine," his eyes twinkled looking back up at me. "I'll just toss it, I have plenty. Most action I've gotten in weeks," he jested, pointing to the lipstick stain. 

He started to dig his hand into his pocket, pulling out a few coins.

"I've already picked a few tracks, it's fine." God. He was going to know I was the one who picked Kiss. 

"Oh, what'd you pick?"

I bit my lip and gave a really animated shrug. "I just hit a bunch of numbers, really," I smiled.

"Interesting strategy," he pursed his lips nodding slightly. "I"m sure they're great," he laughed. "Is your dress okay?"

I brought my hands up to the lacy bodice of my dress, my fingers lightly on my collar bones and looked over myself. "Yeah, I think it's okay. I'll take it to get dry cleaned sometime this week. Please let me pay for your shirt to be cleaned too?"

He lifted a hand, dismissing the idea instantly. "Don't even worry about it."

The current track that was playing ended and my first song was starting. Apparently I picked something country. Nothing screams "party time" like a ballad about your wife leaving you and how you now live out of your pick up truck with your dog.

"Solid choice," Brendon teased, crossing his arms over his chest. He stood with his legs spread a little, confidence oozing out of every pore and I lowkey was jealous of him. He knew who he was.

"The fuck is this?" Jacob yelled loudly over the music. 

The crowd of friends burst out laughing and Brendon's eyes lit up in surprise before he joined in. 

"Sorry!" I yelled back.

I cringed and bit my lip.

"Keep doing that and you're going to cut yourself," Brendon gently brushed my chin with his knuckles before smirking. "I had a question for you. Do you take Duke to any dog parks around here? I mean decent clean ones?"

I smiled, knowing he'd been in LA long enough to know it wasn't how Hollywood liked to make it appear on screen. 

"There's a great one on the corner of South and," I squeezed my eyes closed trying to recall the street that intersected. "South and Primrose. It's great and they even have a splash pad for hot days. It's not always on, but lately it has been."

"I know where South is. I probably pass the park everyday and don't even realize. Thanks, Maggie." He pointed to the restroom before walking off. "See you around, nature calls."

I had a very vivid image of him fucking me on the bathroom sink as I watched him walk out of view, and shook my head clear.

Grabbing a few meatballs off a tray a server was walking around with, I promptly stuffed them into my mouth before finding an empty seat. Instantly, I felt a little better. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, which was actually lunch time since I didn't wake until around 12:30 that afternoon. 

Jacob found me and asked me if I was okay. I had to tell someone. I was going to burst with anxiety waiting to see if Brendon was B all by myself. I pulled Jacob aside and made sure no one else could hear our conversation. 

"Last night," I started.

Jacob gave me his full attention, his eyes wide. "Go on."

"I was, you know, 'working' last night. And I had a pretty amazing conversation with a guy. They happen every now and then. But I've never ever met any of them face to face before. Not on purpose and certainly not by accident."

Jacob furrowed his brow. "Of course. You never give them specifics, so it'd be impossible," he agreed.

"Until tonight," I continued.

Jacob didn't look like he heard me correctly. "Come again?"

"I think Brendon might be who I talked to last night. I mean, normally, I wouldn't care, who'd give a shit, right? But, I don't know, he was different. And he's literally here and he's real and he's so nice," I went on.

"And so hot," Jacob agreed. "Holy shit, Mags."

Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus came on next. Jacob looked at me unimpressed.

"I'm sorry," I laughed, raising my hands up in surrender. "I was randomly hitting buttons so the song after this wouldn't seem so obvious!"

"What song?"

"Kiss, by Prince. He sang it to me last night on the phone."

Jacob blinked hard. "Okay, I am one hundred percent invested into this and where is he now," Jacob looked around, his neck nearly snapping.

I laughed and grabbed his hand. "Stop! He's coming out of the bathroom now. Just be completely natural. Watch him from the corner of your eye. If he has some sort of reaction to the song, then it's him, right?"

Jacob nodded enthused. "Oh god, I hope he does. How would he react, if it's him?"

I slightly shrugged. "I don't know, but I think it'll be obvious when it happens. If it happens."

I didn't want to get my hopes up.

Peering over Jacob's shoulder, I watched Brendon make his way back to Craig through the crowd of people dancing, but be stopped by a trio of girls. He signed something for one of them, then continued on his way.

"Maggie," Jacob began.

"Hmm?" I kept my eyes on Brendon. He sat next to Craig and took a swig of his beer.

"You gotta tell me what's going on. I'm too afraid to move."

I laughed hard, every nerve in my body tingling with the suspense. I felt alert and on fire and I kind of liked it. "Oh my god, let's just go sit down somewhere."

"Are you going to tell him?" Jacob asked quietly as we both sat at the end of the table perpendicular to Brendon's.

Harshly shaking my head, I glared at my friend. "Are you kidding? No way! He'd be so embarrassed. Trust me, no one calls NiteSiren and then brags about it. It's one of those things better left unsaid."

"But you guys had a connection. That's gotta count for something," Jacob protested.

I shushed him, Miley's song coming to an end.

Show time.


	4. The Power of White Panties

The music started, the beat already making me tap my toes.

"Oh my god," Jacob gasped in anticipation.

Brenda popped over with a big smile and started to say something but Jacob held up a hand, "For god's sake Brenda, not now!" and poor Brenda turned on her heels and found someone else to chat with.

"You don't have to be beautiful  
To turn me on."

I held my breath, watching Brendon from the corner of my eye. Jacob and I pretended to be in a conversation.

"I just need your body, baby,  
From dusk 'til dawn."

Brendon raised his head, turning in his seat toward the jukebox, listening as if he was waiting for something. His lips curled into a tiny smile and he returned his attention to those around him.

I swallowed hard.

"Girl," Jacob smirked, looking away from Brendon and facing me. "I think we have our answer."

I shook my head, not convinced. Or maybe in denial. "Nah, it's a great song. Everyone perked up listening to it," I gestured to the general crowd behind us where everyone had their heads down in conversation or their phones.

Jacob pressed his lips together, holding back a laugh.

"Oh god. Yeah, it's probably him." I sat back in my seat, deflated. "But so what? It doesn't mean anything other than B is a real flesh and blood person I've actually kissed this evening."

Jacob's face softened and he placed a hand over mine. "Now what?"

"Now... now nothing."

Life would go on. But at least now I had a face for the voice that stuck with me and made its way into my dreams.

Jacob pulled me up on my feet at once and forced me to dance with him. A few hours later, the same waitress that had been gathering all of Jacob's gifts began to pass out goody bags, pulling them around in a wooden wagon and carefully handing them out. I nearly dropped mine, surprised by the weight and peeked inside. There was a bottle of wine or champagne wrapped up in tissue paper and I thought I spied a few face masques which instantly excited me. I'm very easy to please.

I kept my distance from Brendon; I was too nervous he'd know I was Lana just for playing Kiss, but if he did, he didn't make it obvious, so I could only hope he considered the song a completely random coincidence. We didn't speak again during the party other than to say goodbye when he and Craig were ready to leave. I'd been laughing with Jacob and Brenda and a few others when he came up. A simple "Great party, it was awesome to meet you" and a small parting wave to each of us and that was it. It may have been my imagination but I thought his eyes lingered on mine a bit longer than everyone else's.

I was sure I'd never see him again. Craig was more Jacob's friend and Jacob currently resided in Japan. So unless Jacob packed plane tickets to Japan in each of the goody bags, it was sayounara, Mr. Urie.

***

My face was burning and I was sure it was red as a tomato. I braced myself against the counter and counted backwards from ten before sighing deeply and grabbing both the decaf and regular pots of coffee to make another round around The Donut Hole. We were nearly closing and I willed 10 pm to get here quickly. It'd been a long day and I'd had enough.

Being hit on by a customer wasn't unusual. But every now and then, there would be one who would test his limits. Words, I can handle. Touching I cannot.

I avoided the booth with the guy who had tugged on my shorts and never glanced back to see if he needed anything. Steve could take care of him for the rest of his visit. Steve abandoned the griddle for a moment confront the guy.

"Anything else I can get for you gentlemen this evening?" He asked gruffly and unamused.

My ears perked up as I refilled an elderly couple's mugs from a few booths down.

"Just the check, man. Thanks."

"Sure thing. And how about leaving a very generous tip for your lovely server after you apologizing for touching her." Steve slapped the check down on the counter and I looked back at him with a small smirk.

Steve may be an older gentleman, but he was stacked and very intimidating looking. He hardly smiled unless something really made him laugh.

The two friends at the booth glanced at one another uncomfortably.

"Oh, uh, we didn't touch her though?" the one who definitely touched me replied.

I scowled and marched over to their table.

I slammed the coffee pots on the table and poked a finger into his chest, snarling basically.

"Tugging on someone's shorts counts as touching, asshole."

Steve gently placed an arm between us, pulling me back.

"Wow, bro, did you see that? Bitch fucking assaulted me," the asshole blinked hard at his friend before returning his eyes to me. "I'm not paying this shit hole one penny. Food was shit anyway. And look at her," he scoffed, looking me up and down. You think I would touch her? She wishes."

That was all Steve needed. He yanked the jerk out of his booth by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to the door. The asshole gasped, grasping at Steve's hands, prying at his fingers to let him go. His friend quickly followed, yelling at Steve to let him go.

Steve pushed open the door and shoved him out. He struggled to stay afoot but stumbled and fell to his ass. His friend grabbed him by the elbow, quickly returning him to his feet.

"You can disrespect my cooking all you princesses want, but you will not disrespect my employees. If I ever see your faces here again, I'll call the fucking cops."

An encouraging burst of applause sounded from the customers in the diner, including a "Fuck yeah, Steve!" from Howie, a regular who always perched himself at the counter.

The rest of my tables for the night tipped me wonderfully, mostly out of pity for having skeezy scumbags tonight. Howie left me a twenty when all he had was his usual 50 cent donut of the day (today was maple bacon) and a cup of coffee.

Steve made sure I was okay before leaving for the night.

"I hope I didn't embarrass you too much, darling," he placed a hand on my shoulder as I removed my apron.

I hugged him and thanked him for being such a good friend and when he was convinced I was fine, he went on with mopping after the last customer left.

Duke greeted me with a lovely pile of poop at the end of the hallway. His little nub of a tail wiggled as he avoided my eyes, looking everywhere but my direction.

"Oh, lovely Duke," I sighed, my bones aching, upset I wasn't in bed yet.

Ethan must not have been home all day either. It was my fault. I stayed at the diner during my break instead of coming home.

"Come on, baby. Let's go outside."

I hooked Duke up to his tether out the backdoor and grabbed the cleaning supplies from under the kitchen sink and got to work. Once I was finished, I took the plastic bag of evidence to the dumpster out back, bringing Duke back in afterwards.

After feeding Duke, I grabbed a few slices of deli meat to satisfy myself enough, as I was way too tired to actually put the contents of a sandwich together.

I threw myself onto the bed, shoes and all. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply, feeling the tension of the day leaving with my breath as I exhaled. A notification chimed on my phone and I shifted so I could grab it out of the back pocket of my shorts.

A pop up notification from NiteSirens informed me I needed 72 more minutes worth of calls to continue to be considered "active." These alerts always appeared near the end of the month if you hadn't already met your quota.

I could knock out one more two calls, I convinced myself. I went ahead and logged in and grabbed the goody bag from Jacob's party, digging through it. The bottle of wine had already been placed in the fridge and a glass sounded good. I found a gold glitter face masque in the bag and looked over the back of it, quickly reading the directions as I made my way back to the kitchen. I grabbed a wine glass out of the dishwasher and filled it more than half way before heading back.

Kicking my Chucks off, I closed the door. Duke had made himself comfy on the bed, as usual, with his little pink tongue sticking out. I scruffed his head with my knuckles before sitting at the small vanity, looking my tired skin over in the mirror. The wine felt good as it washed down my throat. I tore the package to the face masque open and squeezed a quarter size into my fingers before smearing it across my T zone. Squeezing out a little more, I covered all of my face instead, using a tissue to wipe off my hands. My face looked like a Christmas ornament and I chuckled at my reflection.

My phone chimed and I fell onto my bed with it in my hand, answering the call in my sultry Lana voice.

"Hello, my name is Lana, what's yours?"

Duke huffed and dug his wrinkled snout into the covers at the foot of the bed.

The caller was already breathing heavily. "What color are your panties?"

I treated him to a slight moan and took a gamble that he liked them young. "White," I answered him, doing my best to sound innocent and naive.

"Mmmm. God I bet they make your ass look juicy, baby girl."

"Oh, they do. Sometimes my skirt rides up and the boys get a free tiny peek. Daddy doesn't like it, but shh. He doesn't have to know."

The caller groaned. "You filthy slut," he giggled. "I'm gonna have to punish you for being naughty, Lana."

I let him explain all the ways he wanted to punish me, feeding him exactly what he wanted to hear.

After twelve minutes, he hung up and I peeled my masque off halfway before the next call.

"Hello, my name is Lana and I'm feeling horny," I giggled.

"Lana!"

I tugged at the flap of gold hanging off the side of my face. "Yes, it's Lana," I repeated.

"It's B. Uh, we talked a few nights ago. You probably don't remember..."

My heart launched and I sat up straight. "Hi, B, of course I remember you! How are you?"

B laughed, sounding relieved. "I'm okay. I didn't think I'd ever get you again."

I pulled my lower lip in between my teeth. "It is rare to get the same caller again, but not unheard of. I'm pleasantly surprised," I smiled.

"Well, I have a confession to make," he chuckled.

"Oh?"

"I, uh, I tried chatting with someone else last night but, I don't know. She wasn't you. She was kind of boring."

I laughed, smiling. "I'm sorry to hear that."

B laughed too, "Yeah, really sounds like you are."

I pictured Brendon on the other end, a white dress shirt and a skinny black tie.

"I'm glad we were able to connect again."

He made a happy noise and I heard a small bark.

"Aw, is that Frankie?"

"Yeah," B chuckled. "Let me just get rid of her, hold on." I heard his voice talking sweetly to his dog, then the line was silent for a moment.

I tried to think of ways I could get him to talk about last night, anything to confirm I was right about B and Brendon being the same person. He picked his phone back up, a quick scuffling noise on the line before he spoke again.

"Sorry about that. How are you?"

I smiled and closed my eyes, still picturing Brendon in a tie. "I'm great now. Today wasn't the best, I'll be honest."

"Oh no, what happened?"

"It's nothing. Just a bad day at work, you know. What have you been up to?" I peeled away at the rest of the masque as best as I could, balling it up and tossing it toward the little trash can next to the vanity.

He sighed and I pictured him kicking his feet up. "Not too much. Just catching up with friends I hadn't seen in a while because of work taking up all my time."

"That sounds fun," I told him, and I thought of Craig, mentally willing B to mention him.

"It is. I got to go to this party last night and met a bunch of new people which is always great. And, uh, this is going to sound weird, but you crossed my mind last night."

I sucked my lower lip between my teeth. "Oh?"

He chuckled softly. "Yeah, believe it or not, I heard the song 'Kiss' last night."

Holy shit, holy shit! I internally squealed, pumping a fist into the air. I took in a long and quiet breath of air, calming myself.

"That's crazy! Really? Where were you?"

"There's a place nearby called Pepper Jack's and they have a ton of old jukeboxes. Someone must've picked it out during the party."

Someone. Guess I didn't make much of an impression after all.

"That's so funny," I grinned. "So wait, when you got home, you called NiteSirens, huh?"

B, now officially Brendon, chuckled darkly. "Guilty as charged. It's been hard to get you out of my head. That's creepy, is that creepy? That's creepy."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Trust me, it's not that creepy."

"Good, hah. It's good to hear your voice again."

"Yours too. Can I do anything specific for you tonight?"

Brendon thought for a second before answering. "Tell me what you're wearing?"

I glanced down at myself in my Donut Hole polo and shorts, a pair of ankle socks on my feet. As usual, I ended up using my imagination to fuel the caller's own.

"A white tee (not too far from the truth), no bra (lie), and a pair of white panties (another lie, I peeked into my shorts forgetting what I was really wearing, seeing a pink pair with little kitties all over.)"

"No bra, huh?" He sounded happy. "I feel like such a dick for even asking this..."

I smirked, twisting a piece of hair between my fingers. "You want to know how big my tits are, huh?"

He laughed nervously, "Am I that easy to read?"

"You're a man, B. Of course you are." I began to sink down onto the bed, getting more comfortable. "I'm more than a handful. Does that help?"

"Mmm, it does. How... see through is the shirt?"

I licked my lips. I was getting excited just making him excited.

"Very see through. And kind of tight."

He made a small noise of approval. "What are you doing right now?"

"I'm lying on the couch, curled up under a blanket. I'm a little cold."

"I bet I could warm you up," he offered.

The foul stench of a doggy fart came from the foot of the bed and I playfully pushed Duke with my toes. He huffed at me and I got out of the bed and opened my door. He immediately leapt off the bed and sleepily staggered out of my room. I closed the door and locked it, returning my attention to Brendon.

"How would you do that?"

"Cuddle in behind you and wrap my arms around you."

The idea made me ridiculously happy. I could feel my cheeks flushing imagining it, me comfortably in the crook of his arm, his other arm wrapped around me under my chest, holding me close, my ass pressing against him.

"I don't think there will be too much cuddling happening between the two of us, B. I don't think I could stop myself from grinding my ass against you."

Brendon chuckled darkly, "Exactly what I wanted, how did you know?"

"What would you do?" I flipped over onto my stomach, propping myself up on my elbows feeling like a flirtatious teenager again.

"I'd kiss you along your jaw and slowly move a hand down into your panties if you'd let me."

"I'm letting you."

He laughed lowly before continuing. "I'd tease you first, petting you slowly and nibbling your neck and your ear. Do you get goosebumps easily?"

I giggled and he took that as a yes and went on.

"I'd start slipping a finger inside you," he moaned slightly. "Fuck, Lana, talk to me. Let me hear you."

I rolled back over and stuck my free hand into my pants. He had made me so wet already. I moaned into the phone as I rubbed myself. "I'm so wet, B. If you bite me, we're going to have to fuck."

"Jesus," he groaned, amused. "I'm definitely sinking my teeth into your skin, into your shoulder. God, I want you."

"I'd push you away from me and get on my knees. Can I taste your cock, B?"

"I'm not going to last much longer," Brendon breathed.

"I'm unzipping your jeans and you help me pull them and your underwear down. Just curious, boxers or briefs?"

"How about for the sake of phone sex, I'm going commando?" He laughed.

I joined in, "Perfect." I sighed, laughing.

"But for future reference, boxer briefs."

I smirked, closing my eyes, picturing Brendon in boxer briefs, and weirdly enough, a tie. Always a tie for some reason.

"I love the way you feel in my mouth, B. You taste so good," I tell him, my fingers pumping in and out of myself.

"Are you touching yourself, Lana?"

"I am, I can't help it. You're so hot, B," I bit down on my tongue, wanting to say his actual name.

A grunt and more heavy breathing came from Brendon, and he sighed heavily.

I furiously rubbed my clit, feeling the lit fuse getting closer to the end of the line.

"Come for me, Lana," he whispered and I imagined him next to me in bed, watching me come undone with the help of his words.

I moaned loudly, an orgasm spreading through me, pulsating. I loved the wave of warmth washing through me.

Brendon hummed, pleased. "That sounded beautiful."

Sighing, feeling relaxed and happy, I turned to my side and cuddled up onto my pillow, keeping my phone to my ear. "You liked that, huh?"

"You probably can't hand out your phone number, I'm guessing?"

His question caught me off guard, but I smiled. I couldn't. Especially since he was local. He'd know based on my area code that I didn't live far.

"I really can't, I'm sorry. I wish I could."

"It's fine. I can call NiteSirens and hang up until I get you again."

I wasn't sure I heard him correctly. "Wait, what?"

"Heh, I can keep calling until I connect with you again. Like tonight."

"You just call and hang up if it isn't me?"

"...yes?"

I covered my mouth with my hand, shaking my head. "Wow. I don't even know what to say. It's flattering, honestly," I laughed, blown away.

"Can I at least give you my number? You don't have to call, I don't know, I'll just feel better knowing you have it. Do with it what you will."

I chewed my finger nail, unsure. There were a million reasons why this was a bad idea. But didn't all great adventures start with just that? A bad idea?


	5. But First, Food

A warm, wet tongue dragged its way across my face, rudely awakening me from a deep sleep. I gasped, scared at first, then groaned and pushed Duke away. I gagged at the path of saliva he left across my mouth, pulling the bed sheet up to wipe it away.

Duke wheezed and huffed, begging me to get out of bed. I stretched, every muscle in my body protesting, and sat up rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I grabbed my phone off the bedside table, noticing a text came through as I was sleeping. It was from Jacob, telling me he made it back home and that he missed me already.

I sent him a quick reply back, mentally calculating what time it was there. He might still be awake. We hardly ever got to talk on the phone since one of us was usually sleeping. The sixteen hour time difference was quite a bitch. Emails and texts were really all we had in order to keep in touch.

Duke impatiently huffed again, attempting to growl at me.

"Rude, Dukey. Rude." I stood and brushed my hair back with my fingers quickly, opening the door.

Ethan's door was closed and together Duke and I headed down the hallway. Suddenly Ethan came out of the bathroom, his 6'3" self nearly colliding into me.

"Whoa, sorry," he chuckled. "Good morning."

"Is it though?" I smiled and walked past him, not wanting to upset Duke further.

Ethan looked me up and down as I looked back at him with a raised brow. "Nice panties. Going out like that?"

I stopped in my tracks, realizing I never even put pajamas on last night. After my last call with NiteSirens, I had kicked off my shorts and weaseled my bra off without even taking my shirt off, then crashed hard until Duke decided I had had enough beauty sleep.

"Would you?" I pleaded with a lopsided grimace. "He needs to pee."

Ethan laughed and brushed past me carefully. "Come on Duke, gotta pee?"

I thanked him and sprinted back to my bedroom, pulling open a dresser drawer full of pants. I tugged on a clean pair of shorts. I pulled my work shirt off over my head and hunted around my room, looking for the bra I'd been wearing the day before. I found it at the side of the bed and picked it up, standing with my back to the door.

Feeling like I was being watched, I turned with my hands over my chest.

"Jesus, Ethan," I gasped as he leaned against the frame of my door. "I thought you went out with Duke."

"Nah, just hooked him to his cord. What are you up to today?"

I stood there, cupping myself, wondering why he was having a conversation with me instead of apologizing for the obvious lack of privacy and turning away.

Annoyed, I shrugged, my cupped tits rising in my hands with the movement. Ethan smirked. "I don't work until tonight."

"Cool. I have the day off. Wanna hang?"

I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes. "Hang, or hang?"

"Whatever you wanna do," he replied with a coy smile.

I lifted my chin, considering the offer of his company today. We were perfectly capable of just hanging out as friends. But more often than not, we'd end up in bed together. It has been a few months though, since Ethan began seeing someone.

"And Becca?" I brought up the girl he'd introduced me to just a few weeks ago.

"Long gone. You got anyone?" He lowered his head but maintained eye contact, still grinning.

I rolled my eyes and let out a laugh. "You need to feed me first."

***

Ethan treated me to breakfast at Great Eggspectations, the quirky little book themed brunch spot Jacob and I would frequent to nurse our hangovers after a night of debauchery. It brought back a lot of happy memories.

In the far corner, a few families were seated at the train counter where a miniature Orient Express would roll through with plates of food in tow. It kept the kids in their seats with anticipation, waiting for the train to come through with chocolate chip pancakes or a plateful of scrambled eggs and bacon.

Everything in Great Eggspectations was yellow and white with a sprinkling of light blue. It made me think of, well, eggs, first of all, but also nursery rhymes. It was nostalgic and soothing.

The hostess seated us at a booth and Ethan squeezed in across from me thanking her and I noticed the look she gave him as she smiled. Ethan always drew the attention of the women nearby. He was incredibly good looking and his slim figure and height suggested he could be a model if he wanted to be. He had a gorgeous head of hair and deep blue eyes with sharp facial features. If he didn't constantly have a sexy five o'clock shadow across his jawline, he'd look almost too ethereal to be human. He had a confidence about him that was intimidating. He wasn't full of himself, but he was sure of himself and that alone made it hard to look away from him.

I felt like a hobbit near him being almost an entire foot shorter. I was surprised in the best way when he made the first move not long after moving in. There was no way I was his type, but I didn't complain.

Not long after, he learned of my secret side job, hearing noises through the walls. He had knocked, worried at first, thinking I had gotten hurt. When I didn't open the door quickly enough, he barged in, surprised to see me on the phone and I had to finish the call. If I hung up first, I lost all the money the call would have made me. He stood in the doorway, hand still on the doorknob, eyes widened, before a wicked smile curled across his face.

I grinned now, thinking back on that moment. Ethan looked over his menu with such focus and I snickered, breaking his concentration.

"Something funny?" he smirked, closing his menu and placing it on the table.

"Random memories," I picked mine up and opened it, peeling my eyes away from his.

"Of?" Ethan hooked a finger over the top of my menu, pulling it down.

"It's nothing. What are you ordering?" I pulled my menu back up, deciding between French toast or their amazing red velvet waffle.

Ethan picked his menu back up before answering. "Probably the Animal Farm. Need my protein."

I searched for that on the menu, seeing it was an omelette stuffed with ham and cheddar cheese, and a side of both sausage and bacon.

After a few cups of coffee, the Animal Farm for Ethan and a Scarlet Waffle for me, Ethan insisted on paying for the both of us. "It's just easier on the waitress," he reasoned when I raised a brow in protest.

The second the front door latched, he was on me. I dropped my purse to the floor and threw my arms around his neck, kissing him back. Swiftly, he lifted me with little effort, my legs wrapping around his hips, and carried me to his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him. Duke whined once, hurt that he wasn't invited to the party, but settled himself on the floor of the hallway, his nose pressed to the bottom of the door.

***

Duke panted heavily in the passenger seat, but was patient. His drool was insane and I always had a towel placed on the seat before helping him in. He heard the word "park" and knew exactly where we were going. It was really nice outside and I didn't want to waste it lounging around the apartment before spending the rest of the day stuck indoors at The Donut Hole, even if we did have a cute little patio for days like today.

I pulled into a spot, Duke bouncing from one front paw to the other. The sun was bright, calling for shades and maybe a hat, but all I had on hand were my bright blue sunglasses with pink donuts printed on the sides. Every now and then there was a big fluffy cloud to block the sun for a moment, allowing a slight breeze to make it feel cooler.

I loved this park. It was rather big and spacious, with an agility type play area for the more sporty dogs, the Wet Zone area including the splash pad, and plenty of shady spots to rest as well as picnic tables. Each area had at least two pet waste stations and were emptied daily. The grass was always green and kept well manicured, which was unusual considering the droughts California always went through. As far as LA dog parks went, this was definitely the best one to visit.

Waiting until we were within the gated area, I unclipped Duke from his lead and he waddled off as fast as he could for the Wet Zone, the most popular portion of the park. I followed, smiling ear to ear watching the way his behind wagged as he launched himself toward a stream of water shooting out of the ground.

It wasn't over crowded today, which surprised me, considering the weather. I was able to find a bench near the Wet Zone to keep a close eye on Duke. It was tucked comfortably in the shade too, so I lifted my sunglasses and rested them on top of my head. Watching the dogs run around, completely in their element, always made me happy. Now and then there'd be a tiny scuffle but the owners always intervened quickly. Duke was always a happy and playful boy and today was no different.

He instantly made friends with two smaller dogs, chasing after them slowly around the Wet Zone. The little black and white one would tease him as he got closer, then zoom off through the fountains of the splash pad. Duke was loving it, following along as best as he could. He was going to crash hard when we got home. The other little dog was a mutt, and ran circles around Duke as Duke waddled quickly.

"We've met before, I think?" A voice startled me when I was taking a video of Duke on my phone. My phone tumbled between my hands before I clenched it to my chest like a newborn baby I had just saved from sudden death.

I glanced up at the intruder of my peaceful alone time observing pups at play and my eyes narrowed. The sun was directly behind his head and the light looked like it was hugging his face, the beams wrapping around him. It was hard to see him clearly but then he joined me on the bench and I realized it was Brendon. He was wearing a plain white tee which showed off a sleeve of tattoos on his left arm. He had on a pair of black and well loved Chucks with a pair of black denim jeans, a tear purposely cut on his left thigh right above the knee. If it wasn't for his smile, I might not have recognized him. He was more or less hidden in a black baseball cap and a dark pair of sunglasses, but he looked good. I was not prepared for this.

"Yes, hi. Brendon, right?"

He nodded, looking back quickly at the splash pad where I realized the little black and white dog was his Boston terrier, Frankie.

"I'm sorry, I can't remember your name, but we did meet at Jacob's party a few nights ago. I'm just really bad with matching names to faces."

I forgave him with a small smile. "I was also coated in about ten pounds of make-up, so I'm surprised you recognize me at all," I joked. "It's Maggie."

"Maggie! Yes. You told me about this place," he reminded me.

I leaned back against the bench and crossed my leg over the other, my foot dangling between us. "That's right, I did. Isn't it great?"

Brendon nodded, looking around the expanse of the park. "It's pretty amazing. I'm a little jealous of the dogs."

I smirked and he made eye contact with me again, I think, it was hard to tell because of his shades. Slowly, I glanced away, making sure Duke was still within earshot. Frankie was still teasing him, letting him get close, then bounding off.

"Is that Frankie?" I pointed in her direction and Brendon nodded, stretching his legs out in front of him.

"She's spunky," I observed. "I think Duke is in love."

I looked over at Brendon and he grinned, watching the dogs. The mutt had since taken off, running toward his owner when called. But still our dogs played. I could tell Duke was already getting tired. Whenever we came here, it was never for long. But it felt rude to abruptly leave just as Brendon offered his company.

"Duke is fucking awesome, I love his squishy face," Brendon laughed

"He's the best," I gushed. "This is the most active he's been in months. He loves the water but he only runs around for maybe five minutes tops, then he's done and sits in the shade until I'm ready to leave."

"Frankie is wearing him out, huh?"

"I'm grateful," I chuckled, picking at the aglet of my shoelace. I couldn't seem to sit still right now. He made me fidgety. I felt incredibly exposed to him for some reason.

"Hmm?" He shifted himself, turning toward me, resting his elbow on the back of the bench.

"I'm gone a lot, working. But he'll conk out the second we get home and sleep all night, thanks to Frankie," I explained.

Brendon gave me a nod, understanding. "You're a waitress slash actress, right?"

The corners of my eyes crinkled, happy he remembered.

"Heavy on the waitress," I sighed. "It's a great place though, I can't complain. Some days are better than others, which I'm sure can be said for just about any job."

Brendon made a fist in solidarity before relaxing again. "True that. Where do you work?"

"The Donut Hole."

Duke barked once, then huffed his way toward us, Frankie copied him once she realized where he was going, and ran ahead of him, beating him to the bench. She jumped up next to Brendon, placing her front paws on his leg. He picked her up and placed her in his lap, kissing the top of her head.

"That sounds like a cute place. Is it a bakery or coffee joint?"

Duke pushed his drool covered snout against my bare leg and I cringed, sitting up straight. I reached down and scratched his ears before wiping the drool off my leg.

"It's a diner. Pretty 50's themed, but the food is great. We specialize in donuts but Steve can cook anything."

Frankie climbed down onto the bench between us and began sniffing my hand as I stuck it out for her. She looked at me, cautiously, before extending her tongue out to give me a lick. Duke shoved past my legs and rested his head in front of Frankie, sniffing her.

I looked at the time on my phone, making sure I had enough time to take Duke home and change before my shift. Relieved I had a decent amount of time, I tucked my phone between my thighs.

Frankie jumped down and took off and Duke followed her.

We talked more about The Donut Hole and I told him about Steve and some of my regulars. I was worried I was talking too much, or that I was boring, but he kept asking questions and sounded genuinely interested. He asked if I was still interested in acting and I told him about the classes I was currently taking twice a week.

"I wouldn't say I've given up," I said, thoughtfully, "but it's definitely taken a back seat in my life right now."

Brendon looked for Frankie as he took his sunglasses off. Once he spotted her trying to bite the water shooting from the splash pad he smiled and turned his attention back to me. "I bet it's a lot of rejection to get used to. There's a lot of obstacles when you're chasing your dreams. No one really prepares you for them."

"Yes! Exactly. It feeds my self-doubt a lot. But I wasn't making money and I was basically couch surfing so my priorities shifted and I had to swallow a lot of my pride and get a job just to get by." I sighed. "It's not easy to admit that," I chuckled and hugged myself.

"Do you have an agent?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I told him I'm taking a break and I'd call him again when I'm ready for more auditions. I just, I can't right now."

"What if you miss out on the right role?"

I shrugged. "I often ask myself the same question. I really do. I'm my own worst enemy."

"We all have our demons."

I looked at him as he said that. He stared straight ahead, eyes on the dogs, but unfocused. I could tell he was thinking.

"You have demons? Your band has a huge following. You seem on top of your game right now."

He blinked and looked at me. "Oh yeah, my demons only get bigger. It comes with the territory."

We sat there and watched the dogs in silence for a few minutes, marinating in our thoughts, until Brendon spoke up again.

"Sorry, that was probably too much," he laughed.

"Oh, no. It's refreshing to really talk like this. Being honest about life and not wearing a veil."

He shared a lopsided grin. "It is. You're easy to talk to."

The dogs began barking at one another and Frankie ran ahead of Duke, both of them heading back toward us.

"Thanks," I beamed, earning a chuckle from him. "You are too. I need to get Duke home though, and get ready for my shift."

I stood, tucking my phone into my back pocket and took a step towards Duke, not realizing Frankie had already reached us and was directly under my foot. Avoiding stepping on her, I fell forward, Frankie yelping in fright at my sudden collision to the ground.

"Oh shit," Brendon stood and reached out for my hand. "I'm sorry!"

My elbow screamed and my face felt hot with embarrassment. "I didn't want to kill her," I laughed at myself, taking his hand. He pulled me up and I cradled my arm, trying to look at my elbow.

It was coated with dirt, but I managed to brush most of it off.

"Are you okay?" Brendon craned his neck to see my elbow as I held it out between us.

"Oh, I'm fine. Is Frankie okay? I'm so sorry, sweetie," I dropped to my knees quickly, scratching her ears. She jumped up, her front paws on my thighs, and greedily licked my chin.

Duke tried to push her out of the way, wanting the loving for himself, the jealous dork.

"Thanks for not killing my dog," Brendon teased as I stood back up.

"Yeah, you're welcome," I replied, still embarrassed.

I hooked Duke up to his lead and Brendon suddenly had a tennis ball in his hand, which he must've had on him and I just didn't notice. There was no way it came from his pocket, considering how tight his jeans were.

"Maybe we'll run into one another next time?" He asked, rolling the ball around in one hand. Frankie sat completely still, eyes on her human, anticipating his next move.

"Yeah, probably," I replied. "I'm usually here the same time every week, as long as it's not raining."

"Rain? What's that?" He smiled softly.

My eyes crinkled. Duke was tugging on me, excited for another car ride. "See you," I gave him a tiny wave.

"Take care," he grinned before throwing the ball in the opposite direction for Frankie. She took off, like a bullet from a gun, barking.

I drove home, Brendon's cute little smirk stuck in my head. I played around with the idea of calling him. After all, he did give Lana his number. But if I did, he'd recognize the area code and the lies would start to unravel. He wasn't supposed to become a real person in my life, but maybe now I wanted him to be. God, he was cute.

Knowing Ethan would be home, I wondered if he wanted to go another round before I had to work. I could spare ten minutes. I knew I'd think of Brendon the entire time but Ethan didn't need to know.


	6. Pineapple Does Not Belong on Pizza

That night after work, I considered logging in to NiteSirens, but what I really wanted was to chat with Brendon. As I stripped out of my shorts and Donut Hole polo, I pictured him currently trying to get ahold of Lana, hanging up on each NiteSiren in frustration wondering if Lana was even working tonight.

I sat on the edge of the bed in my panties and bra, and took my socks off, throwing them into the hamper which was getting full. After class tomorrow, I'd have to head to the laundromat. My phone sat next to me on the bed and I glanced at it. 

How easy would it be to disguise my phone number?

Grabbing my phone, I pulled up the browser and did a Google search. I was shocked how easy it apparently was. Using an app called Burner, I could choose my own number to call Brendon from. I felt dirty, like a terrible person for even considering it. How evil, to just water the lie, letting it bloom. How big could this lie get? Where would I draw the line? And was it really a lie if I were just being Lana, the NiteSiren Brendon enjoyed chatting with? I can separate my personas. And what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

I paid for the app and chose a New York area code, chewing on my bottom lip. But I couldn't do it. I had his number typed in, ready to call. Instead, I closed the app and tossed my phone across the bed.

I could just see myself on a future episode of Catfish, Nev and Max peeling back my layers to discover I'd been bullied in elementary school, which led to me catfishing Brendon Fucking Urie of Panic! at the Disco. It's really not that deep. 

Fuck it. Just call him.

Reaching across the bed, I snatched my phone back up and without a second thought, I opened the app back up and put in his number again. I took one breath and hit send.

His phone rang and I sat there, legs crossed in the center of my bed, semi-naked and internally panicking. 

"Hello?" It was his voice. I let out a breath I'd been holding onto in anticipation.

Using my Lana voice, I replied softly. "Hi B, it's Lana."

He sounded surprised, "Wow, hey! Um, give me a second?"

Why did I feel so nervous? I guess because I officially crossed a line, being Lana outside of NiteSirens. I could hang up and that would be the end of it... but... part of me craved the naughtiness. 

"Lana!" Brendon returned. "Sorry, the pizza guy showed up right when you called."

"It's pretty late for pizza," I said glancing at the clock.

"It's only 11 here and I hadn't eaten all day. Are you judging me, Lana?" He teased, his voice low.

My heart skipped a beat hearing the change in his voice. I wished I could talk to him face to face like this.

"I would never judge you, B. What kind of pizza is it?"

"Hawaiian," he moaned, and I heard him take a bite, chewing softly.

"Okay, I lied. I'm definitely judging you."

B chuckled. "All for me! How've you been?"

"I'm doing okay. I was going to log in to NiteSirens but, um, I don't know, I think I've acquired a very specific taste in who I talk to now."

"Hmm, so you're saying I've ruined other men for you?" He teased.

I giggled. "I guess you could say that."

"I'm glad you called. I've been thinking about you."

I felt warm all over, even in just a bra and panties. I fell back on the bed, placing a hand on my stomach. "That makes me happy to hear. What exactly have you been thinking?"

"Well," he started after swallowing another bite. "I was wondering if you'd ever call. I don't just give out my number to anyone, I hope you know that. I'm a fairly private person. I haven't really been honest about myself, Lana. And you make me nervous but I want to trust you."

I rolled over to my stomach and propped myself up on my elbows. "Honest about what?" Now I was feeling nervous.

"I'm a little bit famous."

"Oh! That's fun," I giggled. I worried he wasn't going to go ahead and tell me. Wanting him to be comfortable, I added one more lie to the web. "I've had famous clients before. Have you heard of Brad Pitt?"

Brendon laughed, "Sounds familiar!"

We laughed together and I could picture his smile.

He sighed, happily. "Have you heard of Panic! at the Disco? "

I smiled to myself, pleased he was trusting me this much. "Sounds familiar," I fibbed, parroting his words.

He chuckled lightly. "Oh, well, it's my band, and my name is Brendon. It feels good to get that off my chest. I know I wasn't really lying to you, but it feels better being upfront about it."

Immediately, I felt guilty. 

"It's nice to meet you, Brendon."

"Do I need to change my number now?"

I laughed. "Why?"

"Hah, I know it sounds super cocky, but you could totally blackmail me now."

I hummed, playfully. "No, B, I would never. Plus, people in my own life don't even know that I do this. So your identity is completely safe with me."

"I like that you still call me B. It's like we have a little dirty secret."

I laughed. "Well, we do."

We spent over an hour talking about everything. He told me about taking Frankie to the park and I waited for any indication that he had another girl on his mind. But would he even tell me? 

"B, why don't you have a girlfriend?" I flat out asked.

"Oh. Uh, I'm really busy. Like, all the time. It sucks, and it's lonely, but it wouldn't be fair to make a girl hang around waiting for me to have some free time. Plus, I've got you."

I'd be lying if I said that didn't make my heart swell. But it also made me sad. 

"There's no one? At all? B, that hurts my heart."

"I'm fine, Lana. Really. I wish you weren't so far away. You and me could really be something."

I blushed, rolling back over and sighed.

"You're really sweet, you know that?"

"Can we video chat?" He asked suddenly.

I sat up quickly. Of course he'd ask. I squeezed my eyes closed and grimaced at the most obvious lie I was about to tell. 

"My camera is busted."

Oh Nev and Max were going to have a field day with that.

"Lana," Brendon prodded. "I just want to see you."

"I know. But what's the point? Just Google 'blonde girl' and pretend she's me."

"Wow, Lana. It's not like that. I really like you. I want to see you."

Sweat dripped down my back. I was panicking and wanted to hang up. "Look, B, I'll be honest with you. I like you a lot too, but nothing more can come of this, so no. I don't need to add fuel to the fire. Let's just keep it how it is, like this."

"That's hardly fair. You know who I am now."

"Then hang up, B. Because this is as good as it's going to get."

He was silent for a minute. I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged them.

"I see. I can work with it. I should go, it's really late and even later for you. I'm taking Frankie to a new vet tomorrow and gotta get there early to fill out some paperwork."

"Oh, a new vet?"

Brendon started chuckling. "Yep. Get this, his name is Dr. Cat."

I laughed with surprise, shaking my head. "You're lying. There's no way!"

"Can't make this shit up."

"Wow," I grinned and the wheel in my brain was furiously spinning. 

I grabbed my laptop off my vanity and opened it up as Brendon was telling me more about Frankie's trip to the park today, perking up when he said she made friends with a bulldog. Typing in 'local veterinarian Dr. Cat' I immediately found the office's number. I closed the laptop.

No stalking. Who are you?

"A bulldog? Cute! Did you get a number for the bulldog?"

"Huh?" He was clearly confused.

"For puppy dates."

"Oh," he laughed. "No, but I know the owner, sort of. She's a friend of a friend... of a friend. Something like that."

I felt relieved, putting my actual self into his head. "There you go. Make a puppy date for Frankie. Even if you refuse to date, at least let Frankie have a little fun."

"I don't refuse to date, I just don't have time."

"Or maybe you haven't found someone worth pursuing," I pointed out.

"Not in LA. New York, sure."

Blushing, I shook my head. "You have my number now, B. You can call me whenever you want, but this is strictly business."

"How? You're not getting paid. Lana, you called me because you want me." His voice had grown darker.

I felt something stir inside me. "It really doesn't matter why I called you, B."

"I think it does. Admit it, Lana."

"Weren't you heading to bed just now, B?"

He chuckled and I pulled my lower lip in between my teeth.

We said our goodnights and I was the one to end the call for once.


	7. Distractions at Work

"Order up!" Steve shouted at the pick-up window, slapping the call bell quickly before returning to the griddle.

I grabbed the two plates of burgers and fries and placed them on a tray, making my way to the couple they belonged to. One more hour of work and then I could get off my feet. Over the past week, I've been needed on my days off. Our waitresses had been dropping like flies. Two waitresses were out with the flu today so Gayle and I were both working from open to close.

I dropped off the food, then returned to the kitchen to check on the onion rings for Steve. His fry cook, Tim was also out with the flu. If Gayle or I had called in, Steve would have had to close the diner for the day. I pulled the onion rings out, letting the oil drip off before flipping them over into the pan. Scooping some out, I placed them onto a plate and slid it over to Steve, who then added a double cheeseburger to it. I added the garnish, a large piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a pickle spear, and placed it at the pick-up window where Gayle was waiting.

More customers came in, and I did a double take, recognizing them. One was Brendon and the other was Craig, our mutual friend from Jacob's party. I ducked down behind the pick-up window, Gayle stopping in her tracks to welcome them.

I hadn't seen Brendon since the dog park two weeks ago. I was sure I'd never see him again. At least once a day he would text my Lana number to say he was thinking of me, or rather, her. We spoke twice after my first time calling him. The last call involved a lot of sex talk in which we both got each other off. I blushed seeing him in person now, peering over the edge of the window.

"Hey fellas, sit anywhere you like and someone will be with you shortly," Gayle said sweetly.

Steve, a hand on his hip and a spatula in the other, glanced at me with a raised brow. "Ex boyfriend again?"

I shook my head and shushed him. "No, future boyfriend, I'm hoping."

He returned to his work, mouth agape. "Ohhh, really?"

Instantly, I regretted telling him that. I stood up and laughed. 

"Joke. Just an old friend."

Stepping out of the kitchen, I felt Steve watching me from the window. I looked back at him and stuck a tongue out and grabbed two menus, heading toward the booth Craig and Brendon chose, which of course happened to be one of mine.

"Hey guys," I said happily as I stepped up to the end of the table, placing the menus in front of them.

Craig seemed surprised to see me, but Brendon looked a little relieved, giving me that lopsided grin of his, his dark brown eyes sparkling.

"Maggie, hey!" Craig looked around me, like I came out of thin air. "How are you?"

"I'm doing great, how are you guys?" I looked back and forth between them, my cheeks hurting from all the smiling.

After the usual small chit chat, they ordered a cup of coffee each while they looked over the menu. I told them I'd be right back and headed toward the counter to grab the coffee pot, stopping along the way to drop the check off for another table. 

Being only two tables away, I was within earshot, even if Craig was keeping his voice down. "Ah, so that's why you wanted to come here of all places."

Trying to keep my cool, I grabbed the coffee pot and made my way back to their table and carefully poured it into their mugs.

"You guys need a few minutes?" I placed a hand on my hip, holding the pot of coffee out with the other, hoping I looked completely natural.

"I think so," Craig narrowed his eyes at the menu. "Unless you're ready, Brendon?"

"What's your favorite thing to eat here?" Brendon asked, placing his menu down and looking up at me. He wore a dusty plum colored tee, the sleeves rolled, making his biceps more prominent. His hair was purposely messy, and he wore thick black framed glasses. How such a normal look could look so sexy, I had no idea.

"I'm a big fan of the donuts, but our burgers are really great too, if you're in the mood for a meal."

"I'm not that hungry, so I'll go with a donut," he shrugged to Craig.

Craig opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it, pursing his lips, eyeing the menu instead.

"Okay," I put the pot down on the empty booth next to them so I could pull out my notepad. "Which kind would you like?"

"Surprise me," his eyes smiled, and his cheeks glowed.

I let out a laugh and wrote on the pad, then glanced at Craig. "Need a minute?"

"Ah, I'll have the same thing. Surprise me."

"I won't let you guys down," I winked, then tucked the notepad back into my apron and grabbed the coffee pot, heading back behind the counter.

I replaced the coffee pot, and pulled the notepad out, glancing through it to make sure there weren't any other tables that needed to be completed. I just needed the burger couple to finish their meal and pay, and then Craig and Brendon would be my last customers, unless someone else came in within the next half hour.

Gayle appeared next to me, bumping my hip lightly with hers. "Steve said your man was here. Which one is he?" Her eyes widened as she looked in the direction of Craig and Brendon.

I turned around, placing myself directly in front of her, blocking her view. "Gayle! Dammit, Steve," I hissed toward the pick-up window where I knew he could hear me.

Gayle looked confused. "No?"

"No," I shook my head. "A crush, maybe. Sort of. A new friend, okay? Please stop looking over there," I yanked on her hand as she stood on her tiptoes to look past me.

"Which one," she waved to the table.

I looked back, seeing both of the guys giving Gayle a wave back. "Oh my god," I groaned, my face feeling hot.

"The one with the glasses has a really cute smile."

I could hear Steve chuckling in the kitchen as he was scraping the griddle clean.

"Let's get back to work, what do you say?" I nodded once, my eyes wide. 

Grabbing two plates, I placed a small square napkin on them before using tongs to pull out two Pineapple Upside Down donuts.

"Need help?" Gayle asked, hopeful.

I grabbed the plates, one in each hand and lovingly scoffed at her. "Oh my god," I groaned again.

"Here we are," I announced as I placed their plates in front of them.

"Oh wow," Craig nearly sang.

"These look great," Brendon agreed.

"I hope you like them. These are my favorite. And we make them here every morning. If you stay until closing, I can box up some other kinds for you to take. Gayle usually takes some home to her kids and Steve takes the rest to the women's shelter a few blocks away."

Craig was already half way done before I finished speaking. "Yeah, I'll take a couple! How much are they?"

"On me, don't worry. I'll check on you guys in a minute. Enjoy the donuts!"

Gayle rang out her last customer and started wiping down the empty booths.

I tidied up the counter, keeping an eye on the time and the door, praying no one else would come in. From the corner of my eye, I watched in horror as Gayle made her way over to the guys. I swallowed hard and wondered what the hell she was going to even say to them. Quickly, I rang out the burger couple I'd been waiting on, keeping Gayle in my peripheral.

"Thanks for dining with us, have a great night!" I smiled to the couple now leaving, waiting for them to walk out.

I turned from the register, pushing the doors to the kitchen and glared at Steve as I made my way to him. "Why'd you say anything to her? You guys are going to embarrass the hell out of me tonight. Please hit the bell and pretend you have an order."

Steve just chuckled, turning off the friers, not even looking at me.

"Steve!" I begged him.

He rolled his eyes and slowly walked to the window and hit the bell. Instinctively, Gayle immediately turned around and headed toward the window, as I knew she would.

"Thank you," I whispered. Steve continued to chuckle.

Gayle got to the window and raised her hands at us. "I told you not to do that again!" She scolded Steve.

I kept myself busy. Craig and Brendon stayed, chatting. I refilled their coffee and cleared their plates away. In five minutes I could turn the open sign off. After dropping off the dishes in the kitchen, I came back out and the door to the diner opened.

Dammit.

First, I was annoyed, then angry once I saw who entered. It was the guy who gave us trouble the week or so before.

"No," I headed toward him, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. "You need to leave."

"I wanted to apologize," he raised his hands, appearing innocent. "Honestly."

Steve came barging out of the kitchen, and the guy backed up, scared. "I thought I told you I didn't want to see your ugly face here ever again?"

"Steve, he said he wanted to apologize," I placed a calm hand on Steve's arm.

"Get on with it then," Steve grumbled impatiently.

The guy put his hand on his chest, over his heart. "I'm sincerely sorry. It was wrong of me to pull on your shorts. I realize that. And your food isn't shit," He looked to Steve, then back to me.

I didn't really care for his apology and I wanted him to wrap it up already and leave. "Thank you."

"For real though," he took my hand in his quickly. I rolled my eyes. So sorry for touching me, that he's touching me again.

"Okay, thank you. Apology accepted. We're closing now, so you really do need to leave."

"Okay, okay, but here," he pulled his wallet out and opened it, pulling a fifty dollar bill out. "This should cover the food, and you can keep the rest as a tip."

He stuffed the bill into my hand and smiled a tight lipped smile one last time before walking out. I handed it to Steve, not wanting a penny of it.

I shuddered, shaking his gross vibes off of me and turned off the open sign. Craig and Brendon had watched the entire exchange. It was impossible not to, being the only ones in the diner other than Steve, Gayle, and myself.

They slipped out of the booth and made their way over to the door where I was stacking the menus together in their holder. 

"Thanks for coming, guys," I gave Craig a side hug, then Brendon. Brendon's fingers gripped my waist and he squeezed me to him. "Hold on, let me box up some donuts for you two."

"Nah, let others have them. But thanks." Craig crossed his arms, grinning.

"Sure," I smiled back. I looked over to Brendon and felt my heart flutter. I took a mental picture to use for later. "Have a great night."

Craig cocked his head to Brendon and Brendon started to say something, but then stopped. He looked down and swallowed before looking back up. "You too. Night Maggie."

They both left and I locked the door behind them. In the kitchen I helped Steve wrap up the produce and put it away. Gayle finished the booths and tables. I went back out on the floor to help her flip the chairs over for Steve to mop when she handed me a twenty.

"Your friends left this at their booth."

I frowned but took it, folding it into my pocket. It was unnecessary and I'd give it back to Brendon or Craig, if I saw either of them again. 

"What did you guys chat about before Steve pulled you away?"

Gayle slowly turned a chair upside down and lifted it, parking it on top of the table, pursing her lips in thought. "I just asked how they knew you."

"Oh. That's all?"

Gayle nodded, confused. "The cute one asked what time you got off, but y'all had to drag me away with the damn bell." She shrugged, over-animating the sad look on her face.

I playfully glared at her. "That's a joke, right?" I asked as she softly cackled to herself, moving to the next table.

Once we were finished, Gayle and I left through the back door together. Steve was always the last to leave, always locking up. 

"What a day. No one better call in tomorrow. It's your day off, isn't it?" Gayle asked as she dug through her purse, finding her car keys.

I nodded, getting my own out of my purse. "I have class, but yeah, I'm off. Call me if you need me though. I can come once class is out."

We parted, having parked on opposite ends of the parking lot. Gayle was already gone before I opened my car door. Once I was in, I locked the door immediately before starting the engine. As I grabbed my belt to pull across my chest, a loud tap on the window startled me and I shouted out before throwing a hand over my mouth.

Brendon stood outside my car with a wincing smile, trying hard not to laugh, his brows slanted in embarrassment.

I gripped the steering wheel and whispered a string of profanities before rolling my window down. "Jesus Christ, Brendon," I let out a laugh, relieved it was just him.

"I am so, so sorry," he laughed, nervously. "I'm an idiot."

I sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "No, you're not. I just scare easily." 

I turned my head, glancing around the empty dark lot, only the light outside the backdoor to the diner illuminating us, and dimly so.

"Is everything okay? Where's your car?" I returned my eyes to his, my brows knitted with concern.

Brendon took one step back and scratched the back of his neck. "It's parked in front. I was waiting for you by the door, but you and your co-worker were chatting and I didn't want to interrupt you."

"Oh," I smiled, waiting for him to continue.

"How's Duke?" He asked after biting down on his bottom lip.

My eyes lit up. "He's doing great! How's Frankie? I still feel terrible for tripping over her."

Brendon dismissed the thought with a small wave of his hand. "She's fine, really. But I was wondering if you wanted to exchange numbers so we can plan to meet with them sometime soon? They got along great, I thought, and I dunno, you seem cool and fun to talk to."

"Oh, I am," I beamed, nodding. 

He laughed, giving me a delicious half smile before swallowing hard. "Would you want to get them together again soon, then? Like a play date?"

"Yes, that'd be awesome! Um, hand me your phone, I'll put my number in."

He dug into his back pocket, producing his phone, and placed into my open palm. I went to his contacts and added 'Maggie' with my number. After saving it, it popped up directly under the name 'Lana' and my heart began to thump hard, my stomach twisting itself into a giant knot.

Prying my eyes away from his screen, I grinned and handed the phone back to him. 

"I have class in the afternoon tomorrow, if you were thinking that soon, but I'm free before or after. Either way."

"Nice. Okay, cool, I'll send you a text later then. Or call you, whatever," he cleared his throat and smiled coyly. 

I nodded. "Okay. I look forward to it. Oh, before I forget..." I pulled a twenty dollar bill out of my pocket and stuck it out the window.

"Heh, nope." Brendon raised his hands, refusing to take it.

"I told you they were on me," I reminded him, urging him to take it back.

Brendon shrugged. "It's the tip, Maggie, it's yours."

"Brendon, this is more than the bill would have been. Double, even. More, actually. I've already turned the math portion of my brain off for the night." I wanted to bite my tongue to stop my rambling.

I wrestled with the voices in my head. It was so much easier to be smooth without having to see the person smack dab in front of me. I wanted to be flirty, but I was nervous as hell. My heart was beating so loud, all other sounds were muffled. 

Brendon just chuckled, backing away so I couldn't force him to take the money.

Slumping in my seat, I rolled my eyes. "Fine. I'm too tired to argue," I grinned.

"Good. Well, bye. Drive safe," and with that he smacked the top of my car once, then turned to walk back toward his car in the front lot.

My eyes scanned Brendon's length, appreciating the snug jeans he had on. He glanced back with a wave and I raised my brows, returning the wave before rolling the window back up.


	8. Mr. Darcy of LA

That night, I came home just as a girl was leaving. We nearly collided on the front steps to my apartment. She was cute, really cute, with big red curls and striking green eyes that basically glowed in the moonlight. 

"I'm so sorry," she giggled. "I'm Heather. You must be Ethan's roommate?"

I nodded, adjusting my purse strap on my shoulder. "Yeah, I'm Maggie," I shook her hand, smiling.

"So nice to meet you. Sorry I'm just now dashing, I have to catch my flight back home. But next time I'm in town, we should totally hang out!"

"Oh, totally," I echoed, bewildered at her excitement.

"Well, bye!" Heather took off, an Uber waiting for her at the curb.

I waved, watching her go, still stunned by what just happened. Once the car left, I opened the door to the apartment where Duke sat, the little nub of his tail wiggling. He pounced against my leg and huffed a deep bark, greeting me.

Music blared from Ethan's room, and I recognized David Bowie's voice. I passed his door on my way to my room, but stopped at the sight of him hopping on one foot trying to take a sock off. 

"Why do men like to make things harder on themselves? Sit on the bed and take them off." I shouted over the music.

"Fuck!" Ethan gasped loudly, clutching his chest. He turned around and faced me. "Don't do that! I didn't hear you come in."

I could barely hear him and made a grimace as I twisted an invisible knob in the air, suggesting he turn the music down a bit. He grabbed the remote control to his smart TV and pressed the volume button until it was at a more socially acceptable decibel. 

"I met Heather," I said, wiggling a brow and giving him a shit eating grin. "She's hot!"

He smirked and narrowed his eyes before sitting on the bed to remove his socks more easily. He tossed them at me and I batted at them, one by one, showing my disgust.

"And you're gross," I told him. "Why's she with you?"

"I wish I knew. But she's just a fling. She's flying back home tonight."

I frowned and leaned against the door jamb. "I'm sorry. Will she be back?"

Ethan shrugged. "Maybe. I'd like to think I gave her a good reason to." A slow, mischievous smile grew across his face and I rolled my eyes.

"Where's she from?"

"New York. But her cousin got married this weekend in Malibu. We met at the bachelorette party last weekend."

Realization hit me. He'd been gone for a few nights in a row and after I texted him, worried about him, he assured me he was fine and he'd see me in a few days.

"Ah. Well, Jesus. She must've made quite an impression for you to go missing."

"She's pretty amazing, Maggie." He nodded and fell back onto the bed. "Ugh. What is it about girls?"

My phone began to vibrate in my purse and I pulled it out, a notification from the Burner app informing me Brendon was calling Lana.

"Can't answer that question for you. It's a secret. Night, stud." I rushed to my bedroom and shut the door quickly.

I sat on the edge of my bed, and took a deep breath.

"Hello," I answered, as Lana, making sure my voice was husky. I bit down on my lower lip, out of habit.

"Hey gorgeous," he replied. I could hear his cute half smile and I imagined that adorable little indent above it.

I threw myself back on the bed, playing with the hem of my polo. "I was just thinking about you."

"Oh really? Anything in particular?" He shared a low chuckle, causing something to stir deep in my gut.

"No, not really. Just missed hearing your voice."

He made an appreciative noise.

"I'm assuming you've missed mine too?" I prodded him.

"Of course, Lana. Just hearing your voice makes my body think I'm doing cardio," he chuckled again.

I smiled, touching my fingers to my lower lip, my cheeks blushing. "That's both the sweetest and strangest compliment I've ever gotten."

"Lana?" I could feel the next question coming. He always said my name first before asking.

"Yes, B?"

"Let's video chat tonight. Please? Just once."

I silently groaned, hating turning him down. "B, my answer is never going to change. I can't."

"If your camera really is busted, I'll pay for a new phone. It's not a problem at all!" His voice grew a little higher with excitement.

I shook my head. "No, B, I can't let you do that," I laughed, touched by the offer.

"You really just don't want to see each other, huh? Why not?"

Sighing, I tugged at a string from the bottom of my polo and kicked my shoes off. They both fell to the floor with a dull thump.

"I'm actually a 40 year old man, B. Sorry to disappoint," I joked, forcing my voice to deepen and failing.

Brendon chuckled, amused. "I wouldn't even care."

Rolling my eyes, I scoffed. "How've you been, sweetie?"

We caught up from the last time we chatted and I wondered if he was going to mention seeing Maggie or The Donut Hole or even Craig. Eventually our conversation turned to our dogs. I told him Lana's fake mutt Derek loved pressing his nose to my feet in the middle of the night as I slept, which was only a half lie since Duke did it to me every night.

"By the way," he started. "I'm going to make a playdate for Frankie and her new friend soon. Probably tomorrow, I'm not sure yet. I guess I'll see how I feel in the morning."

"Oh, yeah? That'll be fun. Doggy dates are so cute. What kind of dog does your friend have?"

Finally, the direction of the conversation was steered exactly the way I wanted it to go. "She has an adorable bulldog, named Duke. He's got that tough guy build in the front like he's flexing and his face is a mess of wrinkles," he laughed.

I noticed his emphasis on 'she' and decided to dig for more.

"She, huh?" 

"Jealous?"

"Only that she gets to hang out with you. You're a lot of fun to chat with, I'm sure you're fun to hang out with too." I sat up and removed my socks, throwing them into the hamper. The bed springs squeaked with all the movement.

"Sounds like you're in bed, I didn't wake you, did I? Shit."

"Not at all, I'm just getting ready for bed now. That's all." I stood and wiggled out of my shorts. They pooled around my feet and I stepped one foot out, using the other to pick it up and drop it in the hamper.

I opened the bottom drawer of my dresser and sat on my haunches to pick out a pair of pajama bottoms.

"Sorry I called so late," he said sweetly. 

"No, don't be. But, B?" I stood, holding a pair of lounge pants to my chest as I spoke. 

"Hmm?"

"Have fun on the doggy date tomorrow." I faked a yawn, hoping he'd get the hint.

There was a pause before he responded. "Yeah, I will. Sweet dreams, Lana."

I frowned. He sounded slightly disappointed. But I was sure I could cheer him up as Maggie, as my actual self. I hoped he'd give me a chance to, at least, that he wasn't in too deep with Lana.

"Goodnight, my sweet friend." I ended the call, feeling a little dejected.

Staring down at the screen, I sighed, then tossed my phone to the bed, slipping the pajama bottoms onto my legs, pulling them up. Taking my polo off over my head, I threw it toward the hamper and unhooked my bra, sending it with as well. I found an old well-loved shirt with Winnie the Pooh hugging Piglet and put it on before heading out of the room, toward the bathroom.

Ethan was still on his bed, his hands in his hair. His eyes were closed and he looked so tortured.

"You okay, Ethan?" I paused my trek to the bathroom, leaning against his door frame again.

"Ugghhh," he moaned, rolling to his side. "I should have flown back with her. I'll never see her again."

I raised my brows. He was behaving entirely out of character. "Hang on there, Mr. Darcy," I teased. "You barely know her. Surely you got her number at least?"

"Duh."

"Don't wait to call her. Make your intentions clear. Because when you get to be our age, we don't have time to play games." I internally cringed at my words, knowing full well that I was currently playing one of my own.

I pushed myself away and went into the bathroom down the hall where I brushed my teeth and washed my face. Back in my room, I hopped into the bed and Duke followed, trying to dig his way under the covers to be down by my feet.

"No," I objected, scratching his ears. "Not tonight baby, stay on top of the covers." I pinned the comforter down around me so he couldn't weasel his way in and he gave up, spinning in a circle three times before plopping himself down at the foot of the bed.

Picking up my phone I reached over the bedside table to hook it onto the charger when I noticed a text message from an unknown number. I pressed a finger to it and it opened.

Unknown: Hey, it's Brendon. Does 10am work for you tomorrow? Or would sometime after class be better? I'm free all day. Just let me know.

A victorious laugh emerged from deep within me, and I fist pumped the air, careful not to let my phone go flying. Duke lifted his head in confusion and gave me a stern 'huff' which meant 'I'm trying to sleep here.'

Ignoring him, I quickly added Brendon to my contacts before replying.

Me: 10am is perfect, I'll see you at the park.

I figured that was the end of that, until I'd see him in the morning, but another text pinged.

Brendon: Great! I'll bring coffee. Cream and sugar?

I grinned and replied.

Me: Both please, thanks!

Three minutes passed before I decided he wasn't going to text again and put my phone on the charger before hunkering down with a smile across my face. About ten minutes later, I finally began to drift to sleep, still smiling.


	9. Doggy Dates and Really Good Coffee

It was cloudy and though it looked like the sky was threatening to shower us with rain, there was no rain in the forecast for the day so no one took it seriously. Brendon was already seated on the same bench as last time when I showed up. Frankie was running laps around the wet zone and made a beeline toward Duke the second she saw us. I unhooked Duke’s leash and he braced himself for impact as Frankie playfully attacked him.

Brendon stood to greet me, with a smile and a paper cup of coffee, the steam dancing it’s way out of the holes of the lid. I grinned as I took it from him, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

“Good god, that smells amazing,” I moaned as we both sat. “Thank you so much, you didn’t have to.”

“Not a problem at all. There’s a coffee place down the corner from my apartment.” He took a cautious sip of his and hooked an elbow between us onto the back of the bench. “How’ve you been?”

Parroting his movements, I looked into his eyes and smiled. “Great. Work is great, class is great. Duke is great. I have no complaints. You?”

My reply received an adorable half smile from him, a tiny dimple forming above the corner of his lips. “Not bad. Working on some music and trying to stay busy.”

Duke parked himself on the grass in front of the splash pad and slumped down, keeping his head up to watch his energetic little friend bound back and forth, antagonizing him. He’d huff as she pounced in front of his face, but it required too much effort on his part to do anything else about it. 

We both drank our coffees, our legs crossed facing one another, his crossed with his left ankle over his right knee and mine a bit more feminine, my foot shaking to a secret rhythm of its own accord.

“Your job seems like a lot of fun, or at least you make it seem fun,” I remarked. I wouldn’t tell him how I watched a live recording of one of his shows on YouTube and ogled his bare chest as he wiggled his hips all over the stage. 

Brendon beamed proudly and nodded. “It’s chaos, but it’s so worth it.”

“I’m surprised you’re not in some kind of disguise. You’ve got to be bombarded daily by fans just walking around as you are, in LA of all places,” I wondered as I took another big sip.

“Actually, I think they expect it, so being myself is the actual disguise because they second guess themselves when they see me and I’m already gone before they realize,” he chuckled with a twinkle in his eyes.

Being cloudy, Brendon wore his hat backwards and donned a plain black t-shirt paired with another pair of ripped jeans and black Chucks. I had a difficult time peeling my eyes away from his face as he watched the dogs. It was a good face and his eyes were so pretty, framed with dark lashes. He jutted his jaw out and looked at me, pursing his lips together. My cheeks flushed, knowing I’d been caught staring and I cleared my throat, brining my cup to my lips, attempting to recover.

“I keep meaning to apologize but every time I try to say it, I’m afraid it’ll come out too awkward and, well, make things awkward. Like how I’m doing right now…” He shook his head at himself and chuckled.

Furrowing my brows I glanced back at him. “Apologize?”

“For kissing you when we first met,” he confessed.

I raised my brows and a slow smile spread across my face, my cheeks staying pink. “Oh! No, don’t worry about it. I’d forgotten all about it,” I lied, dismissing it.

“That was a fun night,” he giggled slightly.

Nodding, I agreed. “If Jacob didn’t throw parties, I’d probably never see him. He’s always traveling, but I guess now he’s staying in Japan for a while.”

“That’s what Craig said.”

“How do you and Craig know each other?” I asked.

Brendon dropped his leg down, both feet to the ground and he shifted on the bench to get more comfortable. “He’s a friend of an old band member, but he helped me find my new place so we’ve gotten to know one another better. He’s good people.”

“He is,” I nodded. “I don’t know him too well, but he’s always been super nice and friendly to me.” 

“I can’t imagine anyone not being nice to you, but yeah, he’s a nice guy.” He looked at me, his eyes matching his smile.

Rolling my eyes, I scoffed. “Plenty of people are not nice to me. Like that guy last night, the one Steve and I tried kicking out at the end of my shift?”

Brendon nodded, remembering who I was talking about.

“He pretty much called me a bitch and Steve kicked him out. He came back last night to apologize, but, still. Plenty of people are asshats to me. I’m a pretty decent person, I think, but you have to have tough skin to live in this city,” I reflected, breaking our eye contact and glancing over to the pups.

“That’s the damn truth.” With that, Brendon lifted his cup between us and I tapped mine to it.

We sat together, enjoying the company as we watched the dogs play and other dogs try to join in on the fun. We chatted more about his band and what it was like to tour and record music. He asked me about my previous auditions and what my class was like. 

More people were showing up as they always did when it neared lunch time. My heart sank realizing I’d have to leave shortly. I really didn’t want to. I considered skipping class today, but I couldn’t let my scene partner, Jen, down. We had a scene to perform next week and we were so close to nailing it. 

“You look anxious,” Brendon’s voice broke through my thoughts. 

I blinked hard, and chuckled. “I am, a little. I always get kind of impatient before class.”

“Oh right, you have to leave soon.”

Frowning, I whistled for Duke. “Unfortunately, I should leave now so I can get Duke home.”

Duke scrambled up the small hill toward us as best as he could, Frankie darting ahead of him. Frankie jumped into Brendon’s lap and presented him with a broad lick across his jaw. Lucky bitch.

“Are you busy Friday?” He suddenly asked, and I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly.

“Friday?” I asked as I scruffed the top of Duke’s head with my fingers once he finally reached us. He sat and leaned his head on my leg.

Brendon shared a shy smile, forcing himself to look at me. “Are you busy?”

This guy, with his cheeks beginning to pink, couldn’t possibly be the same guy who had boldly kissed me the first night we met. It amused me, noticing his sudden lack of confidence, and the fact that it was because of me, a simple waitress.

“I work all day, but I’m off at 8.” I pulled my lower lip in between my teeth, anticipating his next words. I watched his face, enjoying the sheen of sweat beginning to coat his brows.

“Want to hang out?”

That wasn’t quite what I was hoping for, but it was a start.

“I’d love to.”

“Okay, cool. Maybe we can catch a movie, or something else. I’ll call you.”

Remaining calm, even with each nerve in my body exploding with fireworks, I stood carefully and nodded. “Sounds great! Thanks again for the coffee. I’m buying next time.” 

Duke sniffed at Frankie’s feet as she sat on Brendon’s lap. She noticed and jumped down, sniffing Duke back before loudly barking.

Brendon shushed her and stood as well. “Thanks for meeting us here. Uh,” he stepped forward, arms open and I realized he was giving me a hug. I stepped in and wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed quickly.

We both chuckled, awkwardly. 

“We’ll walk you guys back to your car. We’re gonna take off, too.” He connected Frankie’s leash to her red collar and I did the same with Duke.

Side by side we walked our dogs out of the park in silence, when we felt a sprinkle of rain fall from the sky.

“Good timing,” Brendon quipped, looking up at the sky as the sprinkles became more apparent.

We picked up our pace, the dogs delighting in the sudden excitement, their ears perked up. Reaching my car, I unlocked it and Duke jumped into the passenger seat as soon as I opened the door. By then, it was pouring. I quickly turned to face Brendon for a final goodbye and laughed as he picked up Frankie and shoved her inside of his shirt, her little head poking out of the neck of his tee. He cradled her against him like a baby and smiled before laughing with me.

“I’ll call you later,” he grinned after laughing. “Drive safe!”

I climbed in and closed the door, giving him another wave before starting the car. Brendon ran, his head ducked down with Frankie tucked into his shirt and I laughed at the sight before pulling out and driving back home to drop Duke off.


	10. New York Is Calling (And I Can’t Answer)

Professor McQueen was deep into a second monologue example, showing how facial expressions are just as important as the words we speak. His first example had been completely stoic. He let his voice rise and fall with emotion, but his face, his body language, was completely blank and frankly boring. The second time, he'd furrow his brows when questioning himself, scratch the back of his neck in confusion, and even pounded his chest in frustration as he spoke. I enjoyed watching him on the stage. He was a great teacher and always encouraged me to go for more auditions, not understanding my reasoning for needing a little break.

I was among my peers in the audience, my elbows on my knees, my chin in my hands, watching in awe when my phone made a loud ping inside my purse. Quickly, I reached in and pulled it out, placing it on silence, ignoring the notification and stuffing the phone between my thighs. I returned my attention to McQueen but then my phone began to vibrate, a call coming through. Annoyed, I looked at the screen. The notification had been from the Burner app, alerting me of a call coming through. B was currently calling Lana. 

My heart was tugging in two opposite directions; excitement and jealousy. I enjoyed talking to him as Lana, but I was jealous he was calling Lana and not me, as Maggie. Tucking my phone back between my thighs, I glanced up just as McQueen was finishing. My classmates applauded, as always, and I joined in.

"Words are nothing without actions, when you're on stage, my dears. Remember that. Being as authentic as possible is a must."   
He glanced down at his wrist watch and pouted. "That's all the time we have today, my lovelies. Remember, next week will be the start of your partner scenes!" He clapped excitedly, glancing down at us with pride. 

My phone vibrated again, this time just once, and I knew I had received a text. I ignored it and stuffed my phone back into my purse, turning to Jen who was seated behind me. We had spent thirty minutes during the start of class practicing and while I felt she was phenomenal, I wasn't as confident.

"We got this," she winked, giving me a thumbs up. "Call me this weekend if you need to run through the lines."

"You can expect a call then," I told her, seriously. 

She laughed and patted me on the shoulder as she stood. Jen was gorgeous; slender with legs for days and long blonde hair. She's exactly who I pictured Lana to be, which I suppose is a little strange. It wasn't that I had a crush on her, I just deeply admired her incredibly attractive appearance. And told men I looked like her when they asked. Totally normal.

I grabbed my purse and started to leave, waving goodbye to a few classmates and McQueen first. As I walked out of the theater, I pulled my phone and keys out, noticing a text to Lana from B.

B: I'm really horny right now, can we talk?

I bit down on my lip a little too hard, hurting myself in the process. Taking a deep breath, I slowly inhaled and exhaled, fluttering my lips before texting him back with the Burner app.

Me (Lana): Currently driving, I'll call you in a few minutes. Xx

Once I got home, I let Duke out to pee and grabbed a handful of pretzels and a water bottle. I joined Duke in the back, sitting on the back steps as I munched on my pretzels. Duke sat at my feet and waited for me to feed him one, but I ignored his begging and called B, clearing my throat before the line began to ring.

"Lana," B answered, his voice already dark and husky. "I've been thinking about you."

I giggled and hugged my knees to my chest. "I can tell. How are you?"

"Great now. You?"

"Great now," I echoed. "Didn't you have a date today? How'd that go?"

B cleared his throat softly and I could tell he was considerate enough to move the phone away from his mouth or at least covered it when he did so, considering it was muffled.

"Not a date," he corrected me. "Just, hanging out with the dogs. And it went okay."

"Oh, not a date?" I felt a little hurt. Of course, it wasn't a date, but hearing him flat out put that idea down stung a little.

"Not really? I don't think so, it wasn't meant to be. But let's not talk about that right now. What are you wearing?"

"Oh, it be like that?"

Brendon snickered. "Sorry, but yes. It be like that. Is that okay? Shit, sorry, I know you're not getting paid this way."

"Oh, B, it's fine. I love chatting with you." I thought to myself for a second, mentally putting together an outfit from my closet to describe to him. "I'm wearing a black camisole and tight leather leggings." 

"Shoes?" he asked without a pause.

My lips curled into a grin and I stood, letting Duke back in. 

"Black peep-toe pumps. Bright red lipstick."

B let out a moan of approval. "Hey Lana?"

Here we go.

"Mmhmm?"

"Can you send me a picture of yourself at least?"

I laughed, having expected him to ask to video chat again. He chuckled too, knowing exactly what I found so funny.

"Oh, B," I tsked. "You're relentless."

"It doesn't have to be a full body shot, just your face is fine," he urged.

Sighing, I poured some of my water bottle into Duke's water bowl and padded down the hallway to my bedroom. 

"I don't think so, B. Not today, sorry." I frowned and sat down on the edge of the bed and kicked my shoes off.

"You know what, don't worry about it. I'm sorry I keep pressuring you. Can we just forget about it?"

Falling back onto the bed, I grinned and sighed. "Yes. Consider it forgotten. Now, B, what are you wearing?"

A dark chuckle emerged out of him and I rolled over to my stomach, my feet up in the air. Duke came in and tried to jump onto the bed. His second attempt was successful and he plopped himself directly in front of my face. I kissed the top of his head.

"I'm shirtless but wearing a pair of black denim jeans. No shoes."

"Socks?" I teased.

"Hah, no socks. Got a foot fetish?"

I laughed. "Not at all!"

"Did I hear you climb in bed, Lana?"

I hummed playfully. "Maybe."

"God, I love your voice. Talk to me, Lana..."

Rolling back over, I moved my head to my pillow and thought for a second. "I want to kiss you, B. I want to taste you and graze my lips across your jaw, down your neck."

Brendon groaned quietly and I continued.

"I want to lick a trail down your chest and slowly unzip your jeans with my teeth."

"...Fuck. Keep going," he whispered.

"I intend to, now stop interrupting," I said sternly.

Brendon hummed appreciatively and chuckled darkly.

"I want to tear your pants off and lick and nibble my way across your belly. Then I want to grab your cock with my mouth and suck it hard, taking all of it in as much as I can. I bet you're big, B, aren't you?"

His breathing hitched. "Don't stop..."

"You must taste so good. I want you to put your hands in my hair and make sure I don't pull away from you, B. I don't want to stop until you cum."

"Jesus Christ, Lana..."

"B, I want you to fuck me. Make me scream."

"I will, baby, I promise. I'd pin you down and eat you out until you shake, Lana." His voice was so deep and I could feel my panties growing damp.

Duke lifted his head, looking out the bedroom door. He huffed once and before I could shush him, he leapt off the bed, barking and running down the hallway. I quickly jumped off the bed and closed the door, locking it. I knew Ethan was most likely home and Duke was running to greet him, but I was busy.

"Everything okay Lana?" Brendon asked, worried.

Sighing, I mentally cursed my dog for ruining the moment. "Sorry. The dog heard something and went nuts."

"Ah. Where were we?" His dark and deeper voice returned.

"I believe you were just telling me how you wanted to eat me out." I returned to my bed, keeping an alert ear for Ethan, praying he wouldn't call out for me, or knock on the door.

"That's right. I want to suck on your clit and push two fingers inside you. Do you squirt?"

I bit my lip and swallowed hard. "I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult with you down there," I told him.

With that, I heard him grunt and lower the phone. I'd give anything to be a fly on his wall right now. To see his face, to watch him touch himself. 

"Still there, B?"

It took a few seconds, but he returned with a "Yeah, but give me one minute. Be right back."

I heard Ethan's bedroom door open and Duke in the hallway. Keeping my phone to my ear, I opened the door and checked. Duke looked up at me, his tongue hanging out in happiness. Ethan was pulling his shirt off over his head, his back to me. He turned, startled to see me but kept quiet seeing my phone in hand.

He mouthed 'sorry' and I gave him a sly wink and returned to my room.

Brendon returned and apologized.

"Stop that," I told him. "There's nothing to be sorry about. It's exactly what I wanted from you."

"You're right, I should be thanking you, rather," he chuckled.

"You're welcome," I laughed.

He let out a long sigh and I knew he was thinking.

"I have a question for you, Lana."

"Hmm?"

"In about three weeks I have to do a special recording for Spotify, at their headquarters. Which is, erm, in New York." He sounded nervous and I hated that I made him feel that way.

"That's so cool, B! Sounds like fun!" Then I remembered, Lana is supposedly in New York. 

"Can I put your name on the list? Don't say no, please, but you don't have to say yes... yet. Just let me get your name on the list so you can be there, if somehow I can convince you to in these next few weeks." His voice was so sweet. I could picture his big brown eyes pleading me.

Closing my eyes, my heart sank knowing there was no way in hell I could fulfill his wishes. "B..."

"Lana..." he mimicked, teasingly.

I sighed. "I don't think it'll be possible."

"Just... name on the list. That's all I want to do. I've got three weeks to convince you."

Shaking my head, wishing I could come clean and confess that Lana was completely made up, I ran my hand through my hair in frustration, pushing the strands out of my face. 

"B, this was supposed to remain professional. I provide you with a service, that's all."

"Then let me pay you," he said harshly. I hoped his tone was rougher than he meant, because it stung. "Text me your address and I'll send you a check."

"B, you're making this harder than it needs to be," I said calmly. Tears began to prickle my eyes, threatening to spill.

He breathed heavily into the phone. "You're right. I guess this needs to stop."

My heart hurt. I didn't want him to say goodbye to Lana for good, but I couldn't keep dealing with his need to see Lana in the flesh. It was impossible.

"Please delete my number. And I won't bother you again," he said softly.

I stuttered, not ready to hang up yet, but he was already gone. "B? B?" I glanced at the screen of my phone which read 'call ended' and I groaned.

"Oh fuck," I muttered to myself. "What have I done?" I rolled over, stuffing my face into my pillow and groaned.

I considered calling him back, but he sounded mad. I decided to give him a little space to cool off. Duke was whimpering out in the hall, so I climbed off the bed and opened the door for him. Ethan was heading toward the bathroom to take a shower.

"You okay?" he asked, with a change of clothes in hand.

I shrugged and started to pass him, heading toward the kitchen and he stuck a hand out, pressing it to the wall, blocking me. 

"What's wrong?" He tossed his clothes to the bathroom counter quickly, then turned his attention back to me.

"Nothing I can't handle. Going somewhere tonight?"

He stood with one knee bent, crossing his arms over his bare chest, his lounge pants slung low across his hips.

"You need to hang out tonight? Is that why you're asking?" He lowered his chin to his chest, looking in my eyes.

A sad smile stretched across my lips. "What about Heather?"

"We're hardly exclusive," he admitted. 

I placed a palm on his chest. "Thanks, but I'm fine. I'm going to stuff my face instead of my vag."

Ethan's face contorted. "That's... nice. So lady like," he laughed, heading into the bathroom and closing the door.

Duke followed closely on my heels as he always did when I went to the kitchen. I opened the pantry door and surveyed my riches of Little Debbie brownies, pretzels, and gold fish crackers. Chocolate sounded necessary, so I grabbed a brownie and stood there, peeling back the wrapper and scarfing down the brownie in three shameful bites. 

Duke whined, annoyed I didn't even offer him a nibble. Feeling bad, I opened the gold fish crackers and tossed him two before making sure his food bowl had some kibble in it to keep him occupied.

Back in my room, back on the bed, I stared at the ceiling and twiddled my thumbs. I sighed and reached for my phone on the bedside table and sent a text to Brendon, as myself. He was pissed at Lana, not me.

Me: Had a great time this morning. Thanks again for the coffee. I owe you one.

I opened Instagram and liked a few photos, killing time, when Brendon replied.

Brendon: I did too. Looking forward to Friday. I'm heading out right now, but I'll give you a call tomorrow. 

I smiled and rolled over to place my phone back, when I got another text.

Brendon: And for future reference, I take sugar and cream too.

I laughed to myself and put my phone down.

The shower was still running. I made sure my door was locked, then knelt down, reaching under my bed, pulling out a shoe box. Pulling it up to the bed, I opened the lid and pulled out my vibrator. I had a lot of pent up sexual frustration, but I didn't want Ethan to help me take care of it this time. Brendon had completely moved into my brain and I just wanted to close my eyes and think of him while I got myself off.


	11. Every Man is an Ass Man

B didn't call or text Lana and I sure as hell didn't try to contact him as Lana. I was too scared to. He did, however, call me as Maggie the next day. He asked if he could pick me up from work Friday night or if I'd rather meet him somewhere. I sure as hell wanted to be picked up so I told him I'd get my roommate to drop me off at work that day. 

I double checked with Ethan to make sure he'd be able to and he gave me a thumbs up.

"Hot date?" Ethan asked from his bed, peering over the top of his AltPress magazine, some lanky looking dude with neon green hair gracing the cover.

I shrugged, leaning against his door frame. "In his words, we're 'hanging out' but he was sweating when he asked, so there's a good chance it's a date."

"Sweating? Yeah, it's a date. Wear something sexy." He brought his magazine back up and continued to read it, or pretended to. "The tight leather pants you have. Wear those. Your ass is huge in those."

Laughing, I raised a brow in his direction. "And that's a good thing?"

Ethan lowered the magazine again. "Every man is an ass man. Trust me."

Thursday evening, I packed my faux leather leggings and considered the few nice tops I had hanging in my closet. Scanning through them carefully with my hands, I landed on my silk camisole which was black and went great with the leggings, realizing the outfit I was considering was almost exactly what I had described to Brendon as Lana. I didn't own any peep-toed heels though. 

Pulling the top out, I kept it on the hanger to keep it as wrinkle free as possible and tossed a pair of red pumps in my bag. Opting to put make-up on after work instead of spending all day around the fryer with a fully made-up face only to have everything melt away by the end of my shift, I stuffed a few essentials into the bag as well; eyeliner, mascara, and red lipstick.

The next morning, Ethan dropped me off at The Donut Hole and I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, thanking him. With my bag and camisole in hand, I went in the back door and placed the hanger on the back of the employee bathroom for safe-keeping, hoping it wouldn't smell terribly like a diner, or possibly a bathroom, once Brendon picked me up.

Work dragged. Time took twice as long to pass since I actually had something to look forward to after my shift, but the day flowed nicely and I earned myself a lot of tips. Feeling giddy about seeing Brendon again put me in a good mood which always translated to better tips.

The bell dinged at the pick-up window and I grabbed the plates, placing them on my tray. Steve reached out and placed a hand on mine before I could grab the last plate. "Hey kiddo, after you take these, go ahead and clock out and get ready."

My face beamed and I thanked him, taking the food to my customers. Gayle agreed to cover the rest of my shift so I could get changed and made-up.

Gayle nudged me with her elbow as I untied my apron. "It's the cutie from last week, isn't it?" 

I just smiled at her as I hung my apron and locked myself in the bathroom. 

Looking over myself before undressing, I was pleasantly surprised to see my messy bun looked kind of sexy, so I left it the way it was. Peeling off my polo carefully as not to ironically mess up the messy look, I quickly kicked off my white Chucks and slipped out of my shorts before pulling on the leggings. Next I took the camisole off the hanger and slipped it on. 

Turning around, I glanced back in the mirror to check my ass out. Ethan was right, the pockets on the back really accentuated it and I hoped Brendon was an ass man. The thin straps crossed along my back and I was pleased with how it looked.

Once I painted my face up a bit more and coated my lips in my vibrantly red lipstick, I carefully swept on some extra deodorant, fanning my armpits with my hands hoping the stuff wouldn't smear against my top. I stepped back after stepping into my heels and looked in the mirror, making sure everything worked.

"Damn. You did good, Maggie." I pat myself on the back and gathered up my work clothes, stuffing everything back into my shoulder bag.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I grabbed my purse off the hook and headed back into the kitchen to say goodbye to Steve. He was in the middle of flipping a burger when I walked in, my heels clicking loudly against the flooring. 

"Maggie?! Wow, what happened?" He placed a hand on his hip and looked me over from head to toe. "Can you walk in those?"

I laughed, adjusting the bag on my shoulder. "I can, thank you very much. I think we're just going to the movies, so I won't be doing too much walking. Hopefully," I grimaced, being silly.

Steve chuckled, shaking his head, and returned to his work, plating a cheeseburger. "Have a great time!"

I pushed through the door and stepped behind the counter to tell Gayle thank you for letting me get ready and Howie, perched on his usual stool, dropped his jaw.

"Gayle... there's a stranger behind the counter..." he glanced around, looking for Gayle. Once he spotted her, he pointed at me and Gayle laughed.

She came over and playfully swatted Howie's arm. "You know that's just Maggie. But girl, you definitely look different," she said as she gave me a once over the same way Steve had. "Wow. He's not going to be able to take his eyes off of you!"

I smirked and gave her a little curtsey. "That's the idea."

Howie chimed in after picking his jaw up off the floor. "You got a date?!"

The door to the diner opened and the three of us turned our attention to it, just as Brendon walked through, looking all kinds of cool. His hair was pushed back, perfectly in place and he had on a leather jacket over a white v-neck and dark blue jeans. And, as usual, a pair of black Chucks, this time high tops.

His eyes met mine immediately and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as I walked around the side of the counter to greet him. The door closed behind him and he stopped in his tracks as I made my way over. His eyes scanned me, starting at my heels and slowly made their way back to my face. I noticed his jaw clench and I felt something stir inside me.

"Wow, hi," he said, greeting me with a friendly kiss on the cheek. "You look incredible!"

"So do you," I smiled as I dragged my tongue over my lower lip.

Gayle and Howie were watching our every move, with shit eating grins across both their faces. I glanced over and even noticed Steve had been watching through the pick-up window.

My cheeks burned and I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

"Let me take that," Brendon offered, holding out his hands for my bag. "Ready to go?" He tossed my bag over his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow.

Brendon politely opened the door for me and I walked out into the night air, which was thankfully not as humid as it had been the day before. I waited for Brendon to join me and we walked side by side, exchanging awkward glances at one another, trying not to be too obvious.

"I'm parked just over here," he nodded in the direction of his sleek black Audi parked about ten feet away. He took my hand in his, our fingers intertwining as he guided me.

Slipping his other hand into his pocket, he pulled out the keys and popped the trunk open. I was surprised to find it empty. Most men I know always have a ton of crap in the back that they're too lazy to sort through. Brendon dropped my bag in and closed it, then together we went to the passenger side where he opened the door for me.

I slipped in, thanking him, and he closed it, crossing around the front of the car to the driver's side. We both buckled up and he started the car.

Turning to me, he gave me a cute half grin. "I had tonight all planned, but I'm not sure you're up for it."

I furrowed my brow, confused. "I'm up for anything."

His eyes twinkled and his smile grew bigger. "Great."

A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of Area 51 Games and I laughed. "Ah, I see. Heels were a bad choice," I crinkled my nose in embarrassment, not wanting to run around in heels playing laser tag. When he said 'movies or something,' this must be what he meant by 'something.'

"We can go somewhere else," he suggested, leaning over the center console, his eyes dropping to my lips.

"No, it's fine! Great, actually. I can just put my other shoes back on, but they're in the trunk, in my bag."

Brendon waited patiently as I changed shoes, handing me my Chucks as I balanced carefully against the arm he held out for me to grab onto. I tossed the heels into the trunk and bent down to tie my shoes.

"Ready," I smiled as I stood back up. His eyes had wandered down my backside and quickly refocused on my face, his cheeks pinking having been caught.

Area 51 Games was dark with black lighting, our only source of light from the neon graffiti scrawled over literally everything; the carpet, the walls, tables and countertops. Brendon's white v-neck emitted a glow, as did my shoes. We both noticed his shirt and smiled, our teeth eerily glowing as well as we laughed. 

Brendon paid for a round of laser tag and we were told we could either join the party about to start or wait twenty minutes for the next slot. We decided to join the group of younger guys about to start. Everyone was given a vest with sensor points and a plastic gun which were heavier than they looked.

The group of guys were more than happy to let us join them, a few of them looking me over with that teenage lust boys often got. Ah, to be young again. 

The only problem was they had already split into two groups of five so we had to be on opposite teams. An employee came around taking our names, or rather, our nicknames, writing them down with the number on each of the vests. Brendon used his last name and I told them 'Mags' not being particularly creative either.

"You're going down, Mags," Brendon cocked a brow at me as he lowered his protective eyewear, choosing a side to join.

I copied his moves. "We'll see about that, Urie."

"Don't worry, I'll cover you," said a kid on my team, pushing his eyewear up his nose with a wink.

I smirked and winked back. "I can handle myself, but thanks."

Both teams entered through two separate doors where we were blocked from seeing the other team until the countdown was complete. My heart was pounding with excitement. I had never played laser tag before but I wasn't about to let anyone know I was an amateur.

It was so dark and I kept waiting for my eyes to adjust to the neon graffiti. The cheap plastic glasses we had to wear didn't help much. My teammates were each hunkered down, their guns in position and ready to go. We weren't allowed to cross the line until the countdown reached zero. I could feel their adrenaline and I wanted in on it. I copied their stance, using two hands to hold the gun in front of me, keeping the barrel pointed down until I had a target in sight.

One of the kids turned back to yell, "Kick ass, lady! Don't let us lose!" 

"Sir, yes sir!" 

The countdown reached one and they started to yell a battle cry, which, I'll admit, scared me a little. At zero, the outlines of each of our vests lit up in red and the boys all took off, running through the room of walls, a gigantic maze with zero direction. I ran after them, trying to stay as close to someone from my own team as possible. There were steps and tunnels and I ducked down under the steps and listened for feet coming closer. My eyes were darting all over, trying to look for something or someone to shoot. 

Someone ran past me, their vest lit up in blue, so I snuck out and chased after them as quietly as I could, but I lost them. I heard a few lasers shooting and boys shouting on the other side of the room. 

A kid in a blue vest ran toward me and I shot him, trying to hit his vest, but he got me first, temporarily disabling my gun for three seconds, allowing him to make an escape.

"Dammit," I groaned, pressing myself against a wall, gun up and ready to shoot.

A few red vests ran past me and I followed them. I found myself smiling cheek to cheek. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but it was fun anyway.

"Hey lady, take that hall. Kenny, you go that way and I'll go through the tunnel," one of them ordered.

I turned left and ran the direction he told me to, not sure why, but I didn't care. I saw a blue vest in the distance and pressed myself against a wall, hiding behind a corner. Breathing heavily, I peeked around and they were gone.

Disappointed, I fell back into my spot and another blue vest was suddenly in front of me.

"Hey Mags," Brendon smiled.

He scared me and I hugged my gun to myself instead of shooting him. He stepped toward me with that devilish half smile and peered down over my face. Before I could move my hands, he pressed his lips against mine, and I found myself kissing him back but he broke away quickly.

Then the bastard shot me.

He laughed an obnoxiously evil laugh, his eyes growing wide to match his broad smile, then he ran off to find another victim. Hopefully not kissing each of them before shooting them.

I laughed in spite of myself, bringing a hand to my lips, feeling the warmth leftover from his kiss.

"Oh, it's on, Urie," I said to myself, running off after him.

Brendon shot me a total of five times and I only got him twice. I also got a few other shots in on other team members and once accidentally shot the kid on my team named Kenny, but it must not have counted because his gun wasn't temporarily disabled. 

Kenny glared at me though. "I'm on your side, lady!"

"Sorry! Sorry..."

Twenty minutes flew by and I was hot and sweaty and I did not care. I was smiling too hard to care. 

Flashing arrows appeared on the ground as soon as time ran out, directing each of us to the exit. Brendon and I both turned toward the exit at the same time from opposite halls. He playfully bumped into me, grinning.

"We won," he bragged, jutting his chin out.

I rolled my eyes. "Well done. You cheated, but well done."

He laughed as we looked over our scores displayed on the wall just outside the exit of the room. Brendon got 17,344 points and I felt my eyes bulge, slightly impressed. I had no basis of comparison though, until I looked for my name and saw a total of 1083. 

My group lost, but everyone was laughing about my score, not in a mean way, but there was no need to hide the fact that this was my first time any longer.

"Nice job, lady," Kenny pat me on the back and the rest of my teammates followed, laughing. I blushed but I couldn't help but laugh as well.

Brendon snapped a picture of the scoreboard with his phone and promised to send it to me.

I shot him daggers with my eyes, trying not to smile.

***

A strand of cheese slipped off my slice of pizza, draping itself down my chin as I laughed. We joined the party of boys we played laser tag with for pizza and even though they knew my name now, they all insisted on calling me Lady. Even Brendon wouldn't call me by my name.

One of the guys, Pete, was sharing a story about how he took a date to laser tag once, using her inexperience against her, making himself look impressive. I called Brendon out on doing the same exact thing and he busted out laughing, raising his palms.

"That was not my intention," he laughed, failing to convince us.

"Lady, you gonna go on a second date with this guy after that?" Kenny raised a brow.

I looked across the table at Brendon with his elbows on the table. He was smiling but looking down at his plate, tossing a rogue piece of pepperoni into his mouth before peering up through his eyelashes.

Everyone was waiting for me to answer.

I shrugged and looked at Kenny. "I can't imagine another date ever topping this one," I chuckled.

Returning my eyes to Brendon, I caught a tiny dimple over his crooked smile before he looked away from my gaze.

"Hey Lady," a kid next to me spoke up. I took a sip of my Dr. Pepper as I gave him my attention. "You should join us every Friday and get some practice in."

The other guys laughed. "Dude's making the moves, Urie. Watch out," teased Kenny with a laugh.

I smirked. "Thanks for the offer. I will consider it."

"Sweet."

I scrunched my nose with a smile and felt a foot bump mine under the table. Sitting back, I was able to see it was Brendon's high top, merely resting against mine, but for some reason it made me ridiculously happy.

When the check came, Brendon paid the entire tab, much to everyone's surprise.

"Thanks, bro," Pete gushed, genuinely touched. 

Before we parted ways, Brendon took a few selfies with some of them. They were sure no one would believe they played laser tag with Brendon Urie and now they had proof.

Once we were back in the car and buckled up, Brendon laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks for agreeing to pizza with them. They were a good group of kids."

I nodded, agreeing, with a soft smile. "It was fun!"

"I meant it to just be us tonight," his eyes softened and his lips slightly parted, catching my attention.

"Date's not over yet," I offered, a huskiness growing in my voice. I swallowed hard, catching myself before my voice went full Lana.

Brendon's eyes slipped to my mouth and his tongue grazed over his lower lip before he sucked it in.

"Let's go back to my place," he said, then started the car.


	12. Damn... That Smile

Brendon slipped his hand into mine, bringing it to his lap to rest on his thigh as he drove. Conversation was sparse, the both of us having only one thing on our minds. My breathing was quick and shallow and I was scared he could hear my heart pounding loudly against my chest. I studied his face in the dark, the sporadic street lamps casting a glow across his features as we headed to his place. He focused on the road, his brows knit together. His jaw was sharp with a hint of stubble and his hair wasn't as pristine as it was when he first picked me up. It was more relaxed and did it's own thing, but it suited him perfectly.

We pulled into a long driveway and I sat forward, glancing out the windshield as we slowly rolled closer. It was a humble looking house, not one I expected. I wasn't sure what I expected, really. He kept surprising me at every turn. 

The security lights lit the outside well enough for me to see it was a white Spanish colonial house, with terra cotta shingles on the roof curving over the edges. The front door was tucked inside an arched entryway and each window on the second floor had decorative iron trimmings.

"This is you?" I asked him, looking at him with a smile. "It's cute!"

He returned a lazy smile and nodded, putting the car in park, then unbuckling himself.

I sat back in my seat, my left hand still in his. I unbuckled my seatbelt and glanced to him when he squeezed my hand. He dipped his head back onto his headrest, looking at me. I felt exposed and goosebumps began to sprout across my arms. Swallowing hard, I forced my eyes away from his and awkwardly chuckled, tucking a loose strand behind my ear.

"You keep doing that," he said softly and I looked back at him.

"Hmm?"

"Biting your lip. It's very distracting," he smirked, tilting his head toward me.

I wasn't even aware I was doing it and I blushed harder. 

"Seems I have very little control over the way my body reacts to you," I said softly, surprising myself.

Brendon's lip twitched and he released my hand, bringing both hands to my face, cupping my jaw as I moved toward him to meet his lips. Hungrily, our mouths crashed into one another, and I gently held onto his forearm with one hand as the other clenched the front of his shirt, pulling him even closer.

He swept his tongue across my lips and they parted for him, voluntarily. I made a noise which only proved to excite him more as his left hand moved to the nape of my neck, his fingers digging into my hair, deepening the kiss. My sexy, messy bun was becoming loose, tendrils of hair falling across my eyes, but I didn't care. All I cared about at the moment was being as close as possible to Brendon and it was annoying how we both were wearing entirely too many articles of clothing.

Brendon shifted, trying to get closer. His elbow bumped the steering wheel and the car horn honked loudly, making the both of us jump. We giggled amid kisses, and his left hand caressed its way down my neck, inching closer to my chest. He palmed my right breast and I moaned against his lips, hitting my knee beneath the dashboard trying to move closer. Exasperated, I broke the kiss, pressing my forehead to his. He removed his hand from my chest and kissed my nose as he cupped his hand over mine, which still gripped his shirt.

Breathing heavily, I wanted nothing more than to straddle him but the idea of moving so quickly with him scared me. Whether I liked it or not, he had become important to me and my thoughts were never far from him. I wanted him, badly, but I wanted all of him, not just a fling.

Kissing the tip of my nose again, he grinned then sat up straight. My hand loosened from his shirt and he chuckled as he smoothed it out. "Let's go inside, I'll show you around."

I stepped out of his car and took a deep breath, smoothing down my own shirt and wiping the sweat from my palms. We circled to the front of the car and walked up the front path to the entryway together. Brendon placed his key into the lock and instantly we heard Frankie barking. I smiled, happy to be seeing her cute little face again.

He opened the door and Frankie bounded out, too excited to wait any longer. She jumped up against Brendon's legs and he bent down, scooping her up. "After you," he said over Frankie's excited barking, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

I scratched the top of Frankie's head and went in. Brendon followed, closing the door behind us and locking it. As I looked around, impressed with the overall feel of the house, he bent over again to release Frankie. She jumped from his arms effortlessly and spun in circles before jumping against me as Brendon turned on the lights. Looking up, I noticed a large lantern looking chandelier hanging above us.

"Frankie, down," Brendon scolded his dog, with a humorous chuckle, failing as the Alpha. Frankie ignored him, leaping up past my hips, begging for my affection.

Laughing at her desperation, I knelt down as Brendon watched, and Frankie attacked me with licks. I tried to hold her but she was too wiggly and fast, making a game of it. 

"I should take her out back," Brendon said, suddenly on one knee next to me. Frankie stilled for him, mostly, licking his hand as her tail wagged uncontrollably. "Make yourself at home," he said, looking to me, his eyes so big and brown that I didn't want to look away.

We both rose to our feet and I crossed my arms to keep myself warm. Brendon stepped away, whistling for Frankie and she followed closely on his heels, yipping. As he made his way through his home, lights were turned on until Frankie's barking faded out the backdoor.

I kicked off my shoes, my feet instantly feeling cool against the stone flooring. I placed them neatly near the front door and looked around, taking in the architecture of Brendon's home. A large staircase with an iron banister curved its way up to the second floor, the stair risers covered with painted ceramic tiles. I padded my way past the stairs, across the rug in the wide hallway. The wall opposite the stairs had a few arched built-in shelves within eye level, all three of them occupied with potted plants.

The hallway contained a powder room which I peeked into before continuing down to the end. The end of the hall led to a large area split into a kitchen and a dining area. The kitchen to the left had similar painted tiles along walls above the countertops matching the stair risers and three small iron lanterns resembling the large one from the foyer hung from the ceiling. An island in the center of the kitchen below the lanterns was decorated with a large teal vase full of sunflowers. Four high backed stools were tucked into the side of the island and an arched window above the sink showed off the backyard. To the right, a massive reclaimed wood dining table was centered over a large hand-knotted area rug, and above it hung another large lantern chandelier. Four high back chairs were pushed in on either side, matching the stools in the kitchen. 

Just past the table was the backdoor which I could see led out to the immense backyard after a cushy patio. I could see cushioned chairs and a pool, the yard surrounded by a high fence for privacy.

Before I could become too nosy, Brendon and Frankie returned through the back door of the dining room, the door made of iron and glass. Frankie walked head of Brendon but kept her eyes on him, her tongue hanging out with anticipation.

"You found us," Brendon beamed. "Let me grab Frankie a treat and I'm all yours."

I watched as he and Frankie crossed to the kitchen. Frankie made a beeline to her dish next to the fridge and lapped up some water as Brendon pushed himself up onto the toes of his shoes to grab a package of treats from the top. His shirt lifted and I got a little peek of his stomach. His pants were low on his hips and his Adonis belt was prominent, his muscles taut in his effort to reach the treats.

Swallowing hard, I glanced away and walked toward the backdoor. I heard the rustle of plastic, knowing Brendon had gotten the package down. Frankie's excited bark confirmed it as I looked out the back over the patio. It was lit up and even the pool had lights inside giving it the sparkle of a sapphire gemstone. 

I was imagining Brendon and I in the pool, his hands slipping into my bikini top when his voice spoke right next to me, shaking me out of my daydream. 

"Would you like to see the rest of the house?" I turned to face him. His stance matched mine; arms crossed, unsure of what to do with them.

I nodded and he lowered a hand, reaching for mine. Smiling, I placed mine into his palm and he squeezed before guiding me with him.

"Dining room, kitchen, blah blah," he teased before we reentered the large hallway. He opened a door across from the powder room which I had figured was a closet, but it contained a set of stairs leading down. "Down here's the TV room slash game room slash studio. It used to be a wine cellar, but I needed the creative space so I changed it up."

Keeping my hand in his, he pulled me along down the stairs and we came to a carpet flooring. The entire downstairs was massive and exactly what he had said it was. 

"I'm down here a lot," he told me, flipping the lights on. 

I hardly saw anything more than the TV, a few couches, a couple guitars, and a desk full of computers and other equipment before he pulled me away and we both headed back up, next making our way upstairs to the second floor. I couldn't help but giggle as he looked back as we made our way up. His smile was almost childlike. 

A bathroom, two guest rooms each with their own bathrooms, and two linen closets later, we were suddenly in his own room.

The floors were dark hardwood but there were rugs everywhere. His bed was enormous with a European style canopy frame, matching the iron trimmings I'd seen throughout the rest of the house. Whoever was in charge of decorating had turned Brendon's home into a magazine spread. 

I let go of Brendon's hand, wanting to look around without his control. He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on heels as I ran a finger over his dresser, stopping in front of a picture frame. I picked it up and looked over it. It was of a younger Brendon surrounded by two other boys and two girls.

"Siblings?" I turned to him, asking.

He gave me a nod and I returned the frame after one last look at his little face with the big brown eyes.

There were a few other knick knacks on the dresser; loose change, a paper clip, a receipt, a notebook and a handful of pens. 

Above the dresser hung an arch shaped mirror, staying with the theme and style of the house. Brendon and I made eye contact in the mirror and we both blushed, smiling.

"Your room is very clean," I noted, turning around to face him.

"A house keeper comes every Friday afternoon," he shrugged.

"Lucky," I smirked, walking back to him.

Brendon laughed, then his smile slowly faded as he began to undress me with his eyes. I was doing the same to him, picturing that sexy V I knew he had.

I grew bold and I stepped closer, licking my lips and taking his hands in mine. Without warning, he pulled me to him, and wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands gently brushed their way over my arms and down my sides (which tickled and made me giggle) until he found the small of my back where they rested, keeping me close. Brendon's pupils were dilated, making his eyes appear darker as he looked over my face. His lips parted as his eyes lowered to my chest which was pressed against his. My breathing was heavy and the swells of my breast seemed to throb with each breath. He licked his lower lip, then swallowed hard, returning his eyes to mine.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, surprising me. 

I smirked, my eyelids heavy and hooded with lust. "You've kissed me three times already without asking. Why ask now?" I raked my fingernails against the back of his scalp and he lifted his head, peering down over me.

"Because I want to kiss more than just your lips," he practically purred, bringing his soft lips to my cheek, pressing them to me.

I leaned into his kiss, sighing, my eyelids fluttering closed. Breathing in, I committed his scent to memory, his cologne smelling like sandalwood. Brendon gently nudged my cheek with nose, making me tilt my head away. His lips skimmed down my jawline to below my ear where he carefully scraped his teeth against my skin, before nipping me.

A slight gasp escaped my lips as the sensation shot through my core. The hair on my arms were standing, goosebumps forming as he gently blew over the spot he assaulted. My fingers were in his hair, tugging at the scalp and he moaned, bringing his lips to my neck. He splayed his fingers out across my lower back, pulling me into him. I felt his bulge hardening and rubbed myself against it, his breath hitching as he kissed a trail over my shoulder.

I needed his lips on mine. Skimming my hands over his face, I cupped it and brought his mouth to mine. He moaned into me, kissing me deeply. 

Brendon's hands swept over my ass and he lowered himself, not breaking away from our kiss, his hands sliding further down to my thighs where he lifted me quickly. I wrapped my legs around him and cradled his head with my arms, our tongues dancing with one another.

He only needed to walk a few feet before we met the edge of his California king. Our kiss broke as he let me go, placing me on my back. Brendon kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed next to me and I turned to my side, wrapping a leg over his hip. Our lips crashed together again, beginning to feel bruised. His hand slid down my back, lifting my camisole to caress my skin. His fingers sprawled across my back, inching closer toward my bra. 

Not ready to go there quite yet, I pushed him back and climbed over him, straddling his lap. I took his hands and held them above his head and looked down at him. He stared back with a devilish smirk, his eyes twinkling. Lowering my face, I kissed the little dimple that always formed above his lazy smile, then kissed a short path to his earlobe, licking it before grazing it with my teeth.

Brendon grunted, his hips bucking beneath me in reaction. I kept him pinned and licked down his jaw returning to his lips. Slowly, I released his hands, skirting them down his arms before holding his face only to kiss him deeper. He took advantage of his freedom and cupped my ass, kneading it, the pressure pushing me into his hardness. I had already grown damp and lust had completely consumed me. I found myself grinding against him as I eagerly kissed him like my life depended on it.

A low growl grew from within Brendon and I found myself flipped over, once again on my back. Brendon propped himself up with an elbow, cupping the back of my neck as he continued to kiss me. With his free hand, he kneaded my breast before moving his hand down my side, gripping my waist as he deepened his kiss. I placed a hand on his chest and playfully bit down on his lower lip. Brendon groaned in pleasure and his hand lowered, finding itself between my thighs.

My heart was pounding so hard. The friction he was applying between my legs caused me to break away from his lips, my head rolling back. Brendon took the chance to kiss my neck and the slight stubble across his chin felt good against my sensitive skin.

"God..." I muttered, close to seeing stars.

I felt his hands move to the waist of my leggings, his fingers about to slip in and I reluctantly grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand back up to my chest instead. He smiled against my lips as he kissed me but he didn't try again. Instead, he moved his hand to my neck, gently cradling my jaw in his palm as he began to kiss me more softly.

I couldn't get enough and when he pulled away finally, it took me a few seconds to open my eyes, my eyelids had become so heavy. He looked down at me and caressed his thumb across my lower lip. I reached up and raked his hair back with my fingers, brushing it from his eyes. 

Brendon closed his eyes, leaning into my palm as I slid it down to his cheek. He took my hand in his, and kissed the inside of my wrist, against the pulse. Everything felt so hazy and I sighed, smiling at his sweetness.

"Damn," he said hoarsely. "That smile..." He lowered his lips to mine again, placing the softest kiss I had ever felt upon them.


	13. Jen’s Secret Desire

We held hands as he drove me home. It was after midnight and I needed to be back at The Donut Hole for my morning shift, otherwise Brendon would have convinced me to stay overnight. 

"I promise I won't touch you," he whispered against my ear when I had told him I needed to go to bed at my own place. "I'll let you sleep."

As toe-curling as his half-promise was, I couldn't stay. I was weak, and as badly as I wanted more of him, I was too scared.

"On the right, up here," I pointed and he squeezed my hand, slowing the car down. 

Brendon pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. "Can I walk you in?"

I sucked my teeth. "I don't want to wake up my roommate," I frowned.

"Oh, right. Duke would probably go crazy, I guess."

I nodded. "But you can walk me up to the door, if you'd like? As long as we're quiet."

Brendon grinned, lifting my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles.

He gathered my stuff out of the trunk and refused to hand it over, insisting on carrying it for me. I led the way up the path to the door, Brendon following closely. I glanced over my shoulder just to look at him in the glow of the porch light and he lightly chuckled. Slowing down, I turned to face him and he closed the distance, taking my hand.

"I had such a great time tonight, Maggie," he said softly, looking down at our feet before peering up under his lashes. A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and I blushed, feeling ridiculously happy.

"I did, too," I returned, keeping my voice low.

Handing over my bag, he quietly cleared his throat. I held onto it with my hand, keeping it down at my side. Brendon hesitated at first, but then reached a hand up to my face, tilting my chin up. With a twinkle in his eye, he lowered his mouth to mine and gave me a sweet kiss.

"Have a great day tomorrow," he breathed as he slowly pulled away. 

Unable to open my eyes, I just smiled like a goon. When he snickered, I opened my eyes to look at him once again, pulling my lip in between my teeth. 

I stepped back and reached into my bag for the keys. Turning to the door, I heard a huff from Duke on the other side and quickly pushed the key into the lock, turning it.

"Bye," I whispered, looking back to Brendon. He lifted a hand and waved, still facing me. 

Duke tried to push through the opening, but I blocked him with my leg. He barked once until I shushed him quickly. I took one last look at Brendon, smiling, then closed the door, locking it.

Not missing a beat, I dropped my bag and took off down the hallway to Ethan's room, throwing his door open. Duke followed, panting with excitement. 

Ethan's room was pitch black but I could see a body in his bed, the blankets pulled up to his head. Ignoring him, I rushed to his window and peeked out the blinds. Ethan's room was at the front of the apartment and I wanted to watch Brendon as he left. Duke, jumping up onto Ethan's bed, caused Ethan to yelp and sit up.

"Maggie? What the fuck?!" he hissed once he saw me peering out the window. "Are we being egged again?"

I shushed him, not looking away. Brendon was making his way back down the pathway, taking his time. He ran a hand through his hair, turning to face the apartment door as he continued to walk, sliding his hand down his neck. Turning in a circle back around he continued the walk to his Audi. I brought my hand to my mouth, suppressing a giggle, feeling my heart pounding.

Brendon climbed into his car, and drove off. I stood up straight, grinning like the Cheshire cat and sighed.

"Happy now?" Ethan grumbled, glaring at me in the dark.

I gave him a curt nod and called for Duke. "Night, Ethan."

Duke and I jumped into my bed and he sniffed me from head to toe and back again, obsessing over the fact that I smelled like Frankie. I hugged my dog, kissing his head and he settled against me. I sighed deeply, too awake to possibly fall asleep now.

***

I woke up late, having forgotten to set my alarm. With no time to shower, I ran out into the living room where my work clothes from the day before were still in my bag. I stripped down out of my lounge pants and tee I had changed into before falling asleep and hastily slipped my Donut hole polo over my head. Jump-slipping on my shorts, I rushed into the kitchen to start the coffee machine. Nearly tripping over poor Duke who was just excited to see me rushing around, I ran into the bathroom and brushed my teeth, slamming the drawer I kept my toothpaste in. I nearly screamed at my reflection. My mascara from the night before gave me racoon eyes and I grumbled, grabbing a make-up wipe to clean up my face.

"I don't have tiiiiime for thiiisssss..." I growled under my breath. 

Rushing back into the kitchen, I checked on the coffee, which had just begun to trickle into the pot. Ethan came stumbling out of his room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Mags, fucking hell. First you wake me up in the middle of the night to spy out my window and now you don't even have the curtesy to let me sleep the fuck in on a Saturday?" He ran a hand through his unruly bedhead, towering over me as he stood against the counter next to me with his arms crossed. 

"I'm in a hurry, Ethan, I'm sorry! Make my coffee for me, please, I have to pee and find my shoes!"

I pushed past him, looking for wherever I kicked my shoes off last night. I found them in my room next to the bed and grabbed them as well as my phone which was on the bedside table. I stuffed my phone in my back pocket ignoring the text notifications and ran back to the bathroom to pee, not even bothering to close the door. Duke stood in the hall, patiently watching me.

Back in the kitchen, Ethan held out my travel mug and I stood on my toes, pressing a kiss to his cheeks with my shoes in my other hand. "Let Duke out, bye Duke, bye Ethan."

I threw my shoes down on the floor and weaseled my feet into them, leaving the laces untied and yanked my keys out of the catch-all dish on the table by the front door. Running awkwardly to avoid tripping on my laces, I jumped into my car and headed to work, arriving thirty-three minutes late. A new record for me.

Steve, thankfully, was forgiving as always. "Last time, Maggie. Next time you're gone." Which was the same thing he said the last two times.

Gayle and another co-worker, Veronica, were finishing the donuts and I apologized to them as well, tying my apron around my waist, about to help.

"Have you eaten anything, Maggie?" Steve asked, stacking plates next to the griddle.

I frowned, shaking my head, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

"I'll make you an egg sandwich. Go open up the front." He fired up the griddle and I gave him a salute, thanking him.

Stifling a yawn, I unlocked the front door and turned on the open sign as I pulled my phone from my pocket.

I smiled, seeing a text from B. Then frowned, seeing a text from B. Not Brendon, but B. And not to me, but Lana. And not just one, but several.

"Seriously?" I groaned, opening the text, which was sent at 3:34am.

B: I'm really sorry. Please forgive me.

B: Lana? Are you asleep or ignoring me?

B: I can't stop thinking about you. I hope you're doing well.

B: Call me later if you can. I promise I'll behave.

I took a seat at a booth by the entrance and just stared at my phone, my thumbs itching to text him back as Lana, to tell him to go to hell and leave me alone and find another girl, one named Maggie, because she could totally rock his world better than anyone else. Biting the inside of my cheek, I rolled my eyes in frustration. 

I only had myself to blame, really. 

Being a Saturday, the morning was a rush and I worked non-stop until I was able to clock out after the lunch crowd died down. I wanted nothing more than to fall back into my bed and sleep the rest of the day, but my mind was too busy swimming with anxiety over performing a scene with Jen in a few days and now Brendon.

"Maggie," Gayle ran after me, waving a pink envelope in the air. 

Stopping halfway out the back door, I stepped back in, letting it close behind me, focusing on the pink rectangle in her hand. "What's this?"

She stopped in front of me and handed it over. "Tinks wanted to be sure to invite you to her 6th birthday party," she said with a proud grin. 

My eyes lit up as I took the envelope, tearing it open. A glittery pink Barbie invitation demanded my presence next weekend to Tina's (or Tinks as everyone called her) birthday party, the glitter rubbing off onto my hands as I looked over it.

"Six already? Aw, Gayle. I'll be there! Please let her know." I teared up, touched Gayle's youngest wanted me at her birthday party, even though I was sure everyone at work had been invited.

"Great! Steve's already agreed to close the diner that day knowing everyone would be requesting the day off," she laughed.

I chuckled and hugged her goodbye. "It's going to be a great time!"

"And you're more than welcome to bring a friend," she grinned, winking.

I was too tired to start the engine of my car so I sat, and decompressed, tossing the invitation into the passenger seat with my purse. Reaching back into my pocket, I pulled my phone out to hook it up to the auxiliary cable for some music and noticed more notifications. 

Brendon had texted me, as Maggie. Both annoyed and pleased, I opened the notification.

Brendon: Frankie misses Duke. 

Not quite the text I was hoping for, but it made me smile nonetheless. I noticed he sent me the text after 9am.

I messaged him back.

Me: He misses her, too. Kept sniffing me last night, smelling her. He may or may not have humped my leg as well.

Smiling at my own joke, I opened my emails, happy to find one from Jacob. He caught me up on the friends he made and new Japanese slang he learned which he included voice clips for. I was happy to read he'd be back in LA in a few weeks for a red carpet event a friend invited him to.

A new text message popped up, from Brendon and I clicked on it, opening a message of three laughing emojis with tears, which made me chuckle. Then another text.

Brendon: Lucky dog.

I cringed in disgust but laughed and replied.

Me: You're so gross lol

I waited for a reply, but none came. Finally, I buckled up and headed home. As I parked I decided to see if Jen was up to getting together. Making my way up the path to the door, another text chimed as I pulled out my phone.

B: Lana, please don't ignore me. I'm really sorry. Give me a call tonight to explain and I swear to you I will never bother you again. 

Stopping halfway up the pathway, I groaned, staring down at my phone. "Oh, Lana will call you tonight, B. Don't worry." 

Instead of letting myself grow anxious about calling B later, I called Jen about meeting and practicing for our scene. She invited me to her house which was in a ritzy neighborhood and as I made my drive over, I realized it wasn't too far from where Brendon lived.

I had changed from my diner gear into a pair of skinny jeans, rolled up past my ankles, and flip flops. My blouse was sleeveless, white and airy and covered in a pattern of little pink roses. Knowing Jen always looked put together, I dabbed on a little bit of lipstick, blush, and swept on a coat of mascara so I didn't look too homeless in her company.

Pulling into her drive which was long like Brendon's, I felt a tiny stab of jealousy. How come some people tended to have it all, without a struggle? I swallowed back the negativity and slapped on a smile, making my way to her front door.

She opened it before I could reach out to knock, surprising me.

"Hey sweetie! Did you find the house okay?" Jen's lips slowly parted into a wide grin, her perfectly straight teeth glistening in the sunlight.

She welcomed me inside, motioning for me to enter. I passed her and she smelled amazing, her perfume making me want to rub my nose against her neck for more.

"Wow, you smell incredible," I noted.

"Oh, thanks! It's my own perfume. I call it Secret Desire," she wiggled her brows, smirking.

"You made it?" 

She shrugged a shoulder, "Well, I told them how I wanted it to smell, but yes. Saks Fifth Avenue carries it, but I have a bottle you can have, if you'd like?"

"Oh, no," I shook my head as I lowered my purse to the couch she had guided us to. "I doubt I could afford it. I'll just rub myself against you before I leave," I jested.

She stared at me blankly, then narrowed her eyes. "That was a joke?"

"That was a joke," I nodded.

"Oh!" She laughed then, placing a hand on my shoulder, her eyes crinkling. "That was funny! You're funny, Maggie!"

I laughed nervously and took a seat after she did. The large coffee table between the two plush and pristine white couches had a tray of ice tea with a bowl full of sliced lemons and two crystal glasses.

"I would never ask you to pay me for it. Consider it a gift," she smiled. "Iced tea?"

I agreed, taking a glass from her after she filled it.

At first I found it a little hard to get comfortable and focus on our scene. She was so nice and a little airheaded but it felt like a show. Jen was smarter than she appeared. As we fell into a rhythm, feeding off one another line after line, we made notes in our scripts, agreeing on how to block the scene on the stage. 

"You're really good at this, Maggie," Jen smiled with her eyes. "You're going to be just fine, but I'm glad you're here."

"Oh, thanks. You, though, you're incredible. You make it easier, honestly."

She blushed and looked down at her lap. "Thanks."

Two hours passed and the two of us felt much more confident to perform our scene on the stage in front of our class. Before I left, Jen ran up the stairs and grabbed me a bottle of her perfume, still packaged in a white box with a red heart on the label.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Of course! Thanks for running through the lines with me," she planted a kiss on my cheek as she handed me the box.

I looked at her, then the gift in my hands, pulling my purse up onto my shoulder. "Wow, thanks. And thank you. Seriously."

"We're going to be great, I can't wait! I bet McQueen cries," she giggled.

I smirked and waved goodbye.

In the car, I opened the box, pulling out the little vial of perfume. I sprayed it on my wrist, nothing coming out. Pumping the top harder, nothing sprayed until the fifth pump, yet I kept pumping, three more sprays polluting my car. I coughed, drowning in a rich stench of cinnamon and floral.

Rolling down the windows, I waved as much of it as I could out into the fresh air. I felt a dampness growing on my chest and looked down, seeing a wet spot. Looking over the perfume bottle, I realized the pump was leaking.

"Ah, fuck," I groaned, slipping the bottle back into the box, dropping it onto the passenger seat.

My head was already beginning to hurt, the scent completely overpowering. I could taste the fumes. Pulling my shirt off over my head, I threw it into the back seat, wearing just a lacy white bra. I drove back home with all four windows down, the LA air whipping my hair around and beating my face as it twisted together, forming a tangled mess.

"Bad day?" Ethan asked, bemused, making me jump as I threw the bottle of perfume away under the kitchen sink.

"Why must you always sneak up on me?" I huffed and began to pass him, leaving the kitchen.

He reached out, gently touching a strand of my hair and I stopped so it couldn't be tugged. He chuckled dryly before scrunching his nose. "What's that smell? Maggie, wow. The idea is to make men want to be closer, not push them away."

Playfully, I pushed him away, rolling my eyes. "Go away already," I laughed.

I took off down the hall, wanting to take a quick shower when Ethan spoke up again. "Hey, Heather is in town. So I'll be out tonight."

Already one foot into the bathroom, I looked back at him, cocking a brow. "Is she going to make an honest man of you?"

"Hope not," he smirked, his eyes gleaming.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket after closing and locking the door, before stripping off the rest of my clothes. Starting the shower, I held a hand under the stream until the water was just right, then returned to my phone to play some music.

I practiced what to say to Brendon tonight, as Lana, imagining the most ridiculous scenarios. The water pouring down over me made my imagination more dramatic. Nothing sounded right. As I rinsed the shampoo from my hair, I decided the best course would be to completely snuff Lana from Brendon and cut him off cold turkey.


	14. Ethan and a Lady Friend

Later that evening after I've had a filled-to-the-brim glass of wine, I locked myself in my room without Duke's company and finally made the call I'd been dreading all afternoon. Brendon picked up after the third ring and I swallowed hard, hoping I wouldn't be breaking his heart.

"Hey," was all he said. Immediately, my heart sank into my stomach. I didn't want to do this to him, but I had to stop the lies. It'd gone on far enough and I didn't want to share him with someone who didn't even exist.

"Hi," I said, keeping my voice a little husky, which wasn't going to help one bit. "You told me to call and then you'd leave me alone."

"Lana, I'm sorry. Let me get this off my chest," he sighed deeply. "It's dumb, but I've sort of fallen for you. I know it's stupid because I don't even know what you look like, but doesn't that make it even better? That I like you for you and not your looks?"

I felt tears prickling my eyes. This was going to hurt. I started to interject but he stopped me.

"Please, let me finish. I'm not looking for a relationship. I don't have the time for one, you know this. But I'm going to be in New York and every time I pass a blonde I'm going to wonder if she's you."

He paused and I stayed silent.

"You've gotten completely under my skin. I can't even kiss another girl without imagining she's you."

With that, a tear fell. It was hot, with anger. Did he actually mean when he kissed me last night, he was thinking of Lana? I let out a breath I'd been holding.

"Brendon," I called him by his first name for the first time. "I'm married. I'm sorry."

I braced myself for backlash, for angry words and yelling, but he was quiet for a second. Then he chuckled, humorously.

"No, Lana, you're not. I know what you're trying to do. And it's okay, you don't need to. I'm just expressing myself."

Out in the hall, I heard Ethan go into his room, the door closing behind him. He'd been gone all day. I glanced at the clock and saw it was only 10pm and wondered why he was home early on a Saturday evening.

"Brendon, I am married, okay? I don't care if you don't believe me. I can't call you anymore. This was supposed to be a job and I let it get too far. I'm sorry you became emotionally invested. We can't meet and you need to move on."

"God, you are so frustrating, Lana," he groaned. 

Widening my eyes, I scoffed. "I'm frustrating? You can't take no for an answer!"

"You know, I called NiteSirens because I was lonely as hell. You made it a little more bearable and all I want to do is meet you, someone I consider a good friend. I'm really drunk right now so you have to take everything coming out of my mouth with a grain of salt, okay? Fuck." Something clattered loudly on his side of the line. "I've met someone. You'd like her a lot."

"Good for you," I smiled softly, meaning it. 

"She reminds me of you, but I think it's just because you've gotten to me. She's nothing like you."

"B, how much have you had to drink?"

He chuckled darkly. "Worried?"

"Of course I am."

"Why?"

Scoffing again, I clenched my jaw and drew in a deep breath through my nose. "Never mind."

"Because you love me?"

"I didn't say that," I said quickly, growing angry. "I don't have time for this."

"Are you too good for me, is that what you think?"

I missed the good old days when we could slam the phone down to hang up. Ending a call was not as satisfactory. "You're being an absolute prick right now, B. I know you're drunk and who knows how much of this conversation you'll even remember tomorrow, but I'm done being your friend. I wish you all the best and I hope you enjoy New York when you visit but I will not be meeting you. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll call you tomorrow."

"What the fuck? Brendon. I'm changing my number."

"Stop, stop, I'm sorry. Please. I'm sorry. I've already put your name on the list. You're not obligated to show up, of course. But I hope you do."

"Don't count on it."

I ended the call, fuming, and tossed my phone to the end of the bed.

Immediately, a text chimed but I ignored it and knocked on Ethan's door, opening it before he had a chance to answer and was met with a wild head of red hair bouncing on top of my roommate. It took a second to register but when Ethan yelled at me to get out, I turned around and closed the door.

"Ever hear of a lock? I'm sorry!" I yelled through the door, already pissed off. I looked down to my dog who had waddled up the second I opened my bedroom door.

"Come on Duke, let's go for a walk."

About an hour later, Duke and I returned to find Ethan and Heather giggling with each other in the kitchen. Heather wore one of Ethan's shirts and the height difference made his shirt into a dress on her.

"Hey, Maggie," Heather said sweetly with a wave. 

I smiled and returned the wave, bending down to unleash Duke. 

"Your dog is the sweetest thing!" she gushed as she lowered herself to her knees, Duke rushing over to greet her, licking her open palms.

"He's my baby boy," I said in my best baby voice.

Ethan stood over Heather, smiling down at her as she scruffed Duke's wrinkly face. I watched his expression, the way the corners of his mouth slowly stretched, his smile meeting his eyes. It was never a look I got from him. I felt envious of Heather, the way she was obviously desired by someone who was more than willing to give her his heart; not particularly because it was Ethan. Ethan was great, but he wasn't Brendon.

"How long are you in LA?" I knelt down beside her, scratching my dog as well. Duke was in heaven, rolling to his back, his front paws lazily hanging as he exposed his soft belly to us.

She glanced up at Ethan, then giggled, smiling at me. "I'll be here for a week, maybe longer, I'm not sure yet." Her green eyes were sparkling and she stood, breaking the magic Duke obviously felt. He groaned and rolled over, disappointed the loving had stopped.

I rose to my full height, realizing I was the shortest one in the room if you didn't count Duke. But again, I usually was. 

"Oh, good! Then maybe the three of us can hang out before you leave. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm so tired," I gave a laugh, looking for sympathy. "And, um, I'll be out tomorrow night at the movies or something, so you guys will have the place to yourselves and won't need to lock doors. Not that you ever do," I gave Ethan a pointed look and he glared back at me, playfully.

"Good night, Mags." Ethan forced a smile, happy I was leaving the two of them alone again.

I made a noise meant for my dog and Duke followed me to my room. Closing the door and locking it, I kicked off my shoes and pushed them toward the closet door so I wouldn't trip in the middle of the night. Duke was having difficulty jumping up this time, so I pushed him up, then plopped down myself in the middle, grabbing my phone.

Four texts and three missed calls from B. 

B: Forget everything I said.

B: I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you at all.

B: As a friend. 

B: Hey, call me back.

He sent the last text twelve minutes ago. I debated calling him.

"No," I scolded myself. "Force him to move on, to you, Maggie," I sat up and looked across to my vanity, staring at myself in the mirror. Groaning at my pale skin and dark circles, I fell back onto the bed.

I felt awful and wanted to talk to him, so I called him as myself.

He answered after one ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Maggie."

"Hey," he sounded tired. "I was just thinking of you."

I could hear music in the background, a guitar. "Where are you?"

"I'm at home. Just messing around on the back deck. Thought I had an idea for a song." He plucked the guitar strings again, a simple melody filling in the silence.

"Are you okay?"

He hummed and played the same melody before replying. "Yeah, I'm fine. A little drunk, but I'm good."

"Okay. Good."

I bit down on my lip, thinking. I very well may have fucked everything up. He played the melody again, a little louder, with more conviction. 

"That sounds good," I told him, willing him to reply. I heard scribbling on paper.

"Hmm, thanks, yeah, it does."

"My roommate has a lady friend over. I walked in on them screwing."

The strumming stopped. "Oh?"

"Do I have your attention now?" I laughed.

He chuckled softly. "I'm sorry. I've had this tune stuck in my head for a few days so I'm just trying to work it out a bit."

I smiled, picturing him with a guitar in hand, his long fingers expertly running over the strings with ease. "It's fine," I told him. "But she's staying here with us, it seems."

"You want to come over?"

I sat up, pushing myself back against the headboard. "Oh, no, I mean you sound kind of busy."

"Never too busy for you," he said sweetly. "Plus, I could use a break. Bring Duke."

"Duke?" My dog lifted his head at his name, cocking it to the side. "Yeah, okay... Uh, I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Great! See you soon."

I was very much aware of the fact that I was preying on his weakened state of being drunk and tender-hearted having been rejected by a fictional dream girl, but I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't take advantage of him. Promises get broken all the time, however.


	15. Duke Goes for a Dip

Considering it was nearing midnight, I gathered a few of my things in case I ended up crashing at Brendon's overnight; a toothbrush, hair brush, pajamas, an extra shirt, and a pair of underwear. I also tore off my ratty bra and put on the good one I had splurged on three months ago with a giftcard I got for my birthday nearly a year ago now. Twenty minutes later, I was back in Brendon's driveway, this time Duke accompanying me. 

Opening the driver's door, I climbed out, Duke following me as I held onto his leash. He tugged me toward the door, excited to be someplace new. "Hold on, baby," I giggled, reaching into the car to grab my bag. My overly perfumed shirt stuck to the bag as I lifted it and I quickly rubbed it against my neck and into my cleavage before throwing it back.

Halfway to the door, Frankie rushed over and greeted us with her cute little barks, pausing to sniff Duke in case he was an imposter who only looked like her friend. Brendon stood in the doorway, shirtless, with a pair of gray sweat pants hugging his hips. He wore a pair of slightly round glasses, the frames on the thick side, and his hair was floppy, styled from running his hands through his hair constantly. He looked absolutely comfortable, like a nap on a Sunday afternoon.

"Hey you," he said as he watched the three of us head toward him, that delicious half smile with the dimple melting me already. I had grown to crave it and now anytime I saw it, it nearly jump-started my heart. "Hey Duke," he lowered himself on his haunches, playfully shoving Duke, gearing him up for a wrestling match.

Duke responded with a playful growl, grabbing Brendon's fingers in his mouth, but not biting. Brendon laughed, scratching Duke's head before standing back up. He turned, allowing me room to pass. The dogs ran ahead, Duke sniffing out Frankie's toys or perhaps her food dish.

"Hey," I said softly, walking to the center of the foyer, crossing my arms beneath my chest, my bag on my shoulder giving me the appearance of a humpback.

"You smell good," he noted. "Did you bring some toys?" He eyed my bag, smiling coyly as he closed the door, locking it.

I knit my brows together, unsure of how to respond. Stammering, my shoulders sagged and my bag fell down onto my arm. "Toys? No..."

"You know," he started as he crossed the floor toward me, motioning me toward the kitchen where the dogs had run off to, "Didn't you ever take your favorite toy to your friend's house when you were a kid?"

I followed him, lowering my bag at the base of the stairs before catching up. "Oh," I chuckled. "Yeah, I guess. But no, not tonight."

"Ah, that's okay," he looked back with a smirk. "I have plenty of toys we can play with."

My cheeks grew hot. I wasn't positive what we were talking about exactly or if he even knew where his words were taking my mind.

Entering the kitchen, the dogs chased each other out the open back door, Duke hot on Frankie's trail. He let out a playful bark and I smiled, thankful Brendon had suggested I bring him with. 

"How about a drink, what's your poison?" Brendon opened up the large fridge, several wine bottles tucked into the bottom shelf on the door. 

"I'm a light-weight," I admitted, "but I'll take another glass of wine." I took a seat on one of the stools paired with the island, watching his every move. Shifting, I took my phone out of my back pocket, hating to sit on it, and placed it on the tabletop.

He bent, reaching the wines. "'Another'? Red, white?" The muscles in his back made me lick my lips. When I didn't reply, he looked back.

"Oh, um, surprise me." I strummed my fingers on the countertop as he poured me a glass. "You're not the only one who's already been drinking tonight," I gave a tight-lipped smile, accepting my glass with both hands, answering his question.

Brendon stood on the other side of the island, leaning over it on his elbows, lifting a small glass of an amber colored liquor to his lips. His eyes watched as I lifted my wine glass to my mouth, taking a small sip. A coy smile played on his lips.

A faint splash outside caught our attention and we both looked out the back door as Frankie barked.

Brendon stood up straight, furrowing his brows as he looked. "Can Duke swim?"

I gasped, pushing the stool back as I stood. "Shit, I don't know!"

Running toward the pool as fast as I could, I leapt over the threshold, not caring how ridiculous I looked when my baby's life was on the line, only no one was watching my frantic behavior as somehow Brendon had gotten a head start and was already diving in head first as I reached the edge.

I jumped in, fully clothed, flip flops and all, as Frankie barked, excited for the commotion. Breaking through the surface, I gasped, my eyes wildly searching for Duke.

"I got him," Brendon shouted, keeping Duke afloat, making his way to the edge of the pool.

Before I knew it, tears were pouring out of me. "Oh my god, Duke!" I took a breath and dipped back under the water, pushing off the floor toward the side of the pool.

Brendon lifted Duke, pushing his fat little body over the side. Duke waddled a few feet away, then shook the water from his fur as Brendon folded his arms over the side of the pool, turning his head in my direction. My flip flops were floating in the center of the pool and Brendon's glasses were missing from his face. WIthout warning, I busted out laughing as I grabbed the edge, pulling myself to it, copying Brendon's position.

"Are you okay?" Brendon couldn't help but laugh.

I felt a little manic, and I'm sure I looked it. "Holy shit. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my entire life," I gasped and glared at my dog as he came up to me, licking my cheek. I closed my eyes and continued to laugh before pushing him back.

Frankie barked and ran off back into the house. Duke looked back and ran after her as if nothing had happened.

"Hey," Brendon said softly, pulling himself along the edge toward me. The water lapping between us splashed, the length of our bodies bobbing in the waves we created when jumping in. "He's okay. I'm so sorry, it's my fault."

I shook my head, looking at him. His hair was dripping wet, stuck to his forehead, his eyes large with concern. Once we were shoulder to shoulder, he nudged me.

"No, it's not your fault. I never thought he'd just jump right in. I'm not fit to be a mother," I choked back a half-sob, half-laugh, biting down on my lower lip.

Brendon's eyes dropped to my lips as he laughed sympathetically. "Breathe," he urged.

"You lost your glasses," I told him, looking back over the surface of the pool, hoping to find them floating within reach.

"They're probably at the bottom," he giggled, bringing my attention back to him. "It's okay, I have another pair." He tossed his head back, forcing his hair out of his eyes.

He braced himself against the edge, the muscles in his arms contracting as he pushed himself up, climbing out of the pool. Water cascaded down his back and chest as he turned to help me out. I launched myself up, taking his offered hand. Brendon grabbed me by the elbow with his other hand and with his help I easily climbed out, feeling heavy with wet clothes. My jeans felt tight, compressing my legs and butt.

My eyes skimmed over Brendon's torso and I failed to avert my eyes from his sweatpants and the way they clung to him for dear life, hugging every ridge and dipping into every valley of his body.

"I'm all wet," I swallowed, glancing up, meeting his eyes which crinkled. Brendon's eyes lazily lowered to my chest, my blouse nearly transparent now, my good bra showing off it's lacy texture. His eyes returned to mine, his lashes appearing darker. Droplets of water dripped from his hair.

"I haven't even touched you yet," he joked with a smirk. I playfully pushed him back. "Come on, let's get dried off."

Upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms, I stripped down, needing to sit on the edge of the bed to peel my now skin-tight jeans off. Rifling through my bag perched in the center of the bed, I pulled out my pajama shorts as Duke shoved his head against the bedroom door, pushing it open. Brendon was across the hall, his door closed. I pulled my soaking panties off, then, hopping off the bed, I gripped the hem of my blouse, pulling it up over my head. My bra was soaked and I knew I shouldn't keep it on, but I didn't want to appear too promiscuous. I stepped into my pajama shorts and reached back to unhook the clasp.

"Putting on a show?"

Holding my bra to me, I spun on my heels. Brendon leant against the frame of the door wearing a dry pair of gray sweatpants, a different pair of glasses framing his face. He held onto his glass of whiskey.

"Duke," I motioned to the dog as I reached for the door, my hand on the knob. "He pushed it open."

"Why didn't you close it?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"I was trying to hurry," I scoffed.

Brendon jutted his chin out. "Right. Don't let me stop you."

My head was on the brink of feeling fuzzy and I had no idea just how drunk Brendon was. I felt a little behind and wanted to be on his level. I took his words as a challenge, and even though I felt self-conscious, I nearly slipped my arms out of my straps right then. Instead, I kept my hand over my chest, my bra dripping with pool water, and snatched his glass from his hand. Peering down at me, his eyes lit up as I tossed the liquid back, the whiskey burning my throat. Licking my lips, I handed the glass back.

"I'll be down in a minute," I smirked as he sucked his lower lip in between his teeth. Starting to close the door, Brendon took the hint and backed out of the frame with a grin.

"I'll be in the studio," he said, clearing his throat.

"See you there." Closing the door, I giggled and turned back to the bed. 

I finished dressing and hung my bra and wet clothes along the bathtub to dry. Glancing over my reflection, I wiped away the mascara under my eyes, feeling embarrassed Brendon had seen it. Using the brush I grabbed out of my bag, I combed the tangles out of my hair and a chill tore through me, making me shiver. My nipples were pushing through my shirt and there was nothing I could do about it, so I made my way downstairs with my arms crossed over my chest.

Piano music filled the air as I stepped back into the foyer. The door leading to the studio was open and I could hear Brendon singing. He paused to laugh, the music stopping. Making sure I didn't misplace my phone, I searched for it in the kitchen, finding it where I had left it. I grabbed it, looking over any notifications that appeared in the last twenty minutes. One was from NiteSirens letting me know I've not logged in any minutes this week. Immediately I deleted the notification and hoped Brendon hadn't seen it.

The singing continued, the music picking up again, this time a guitar instead of a piano. I thought I heard a familiar tune, a catchy song from years ago. I made my way downstairs and found Brendon on the couch, his feet kicked up onto the coffee table, a guitar in hand. He strummed more softly as he saw me and sat up, moving to the edge of his seat. Reaching down, he grabbed a glass and handed it to me as I joined him on the couch. Frankie and Duke were both on the couch, cuddled together. They both lifted their heads as I joined, then lowered them, eyes closing.

"Made you your own," Brendon winked as I took the glass.

I clinked my glass to his own and we both took a drink.

Brendon began to strum again. "Any requests?" The muscles in his arms were flexed, ready to work.

Looking around the space, I realized the night before when Brendon showed me around I wasn't even down here long enough to notice the piano in the corner of the studio space.

Pushing myself back onto the couch, I sat cross legged, keeping my arms over my chest. It was definitely cooler in the studio, which made things worse. "What were you playing a second ago?"

"Oh," he laughed. "It's better with a ukulele, but..." He began to strum louder and sang, "Hey, hey-ay-ay, hey-ay-ay, your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brain -"

I laughed, recognizing the Train song and bopped my head. He completed the first chorus and trailed off, playing something different, no longer singing.

Stopping, he took another drink, leaning over his guitar. He looked at me, his eyes appearing tired. "You're cold," he stated, noticing how I was sitting.

"A little, but this is warming me up." I held up the glass and took another drink.

Brendon stood, returning the guitar to its stand, before sitting back on the couch. He tugged on a blanket draped along the back. "Come here," he opened his arm and I smiled, moving closer. He pulled me in against his side and covered us with the blanket. My legs were curled underneath me and his were propped up on the table again after grabbing a remote control.

"Feel like watching a movie?" He asked, remote in hand.

"Sure," I nodded, relaxing against him. My heart was thumping hard and as I cuddled into the nook he provided, I rested my head along his shoulder blade and heard how loud his own heart was pounding.

Brendon scrolled through our movie options and we settled on a favorite of mine, the both of us falling asleep before John Hammond could even welcome doctors Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler to Jurassic Park.


	16. Flushed

Fingers combed through my hair gently, tucking my fallen hair behind my ear. I didn’t stir but I was pulled out of a deep sleep, vaguely aware of my cheek being caressed.

“Maggie,” came a soft whisper. I groaned and began to stretch, eliciting a grunt from my pillow. “Ugh, Maggie, you’re on my bladder,” my pillow struggled out.

My eyes shot open and I was met with Brendon’s staring down at me. Our movie had ended and we had both fallen back onto the couch with me koala-ing his lower half. My head was on his stomach and my hand rested on top of his crotch, which was feeling a little firm beneath me.

I pushed myself up, causing him to utter a sharp cry. “I’m so sorry,” I tried not to laugh. 

“I didn’t want to wake you, but I really need to pee.” Brendon sat up and adjusted himself as I looked away. 

The dogs jumped off the couch, sensing we would be heading out of the room.

“Let’s go to bed,” Brendon yawned as he stood, turning the TV off.

Back on the main floor, Brendon slipped into the powder room across the hallway and I went outside the back door with the dogs in case they needed to pee too. The security lights turned on with our movements and I saw my flip flops on the surface of the pool and snickered. The dogs ran into the grass, sniffing out the best spots to pee while I walked over to the edge of the pool and got on my knees. Stretching myself out, the hem of my shirt dipped into the pool and the water spread quickly, climbing it’s way up the fabric.

Silently cursing, I snatched up one flip flop and used it to reach the other one. Standing back up, the front of my shirt was soaked again. I tossed my flip flops to the back deck and twisted the bottom of my shirt, wringing out as much water as I could.

I whistled for the dogs, snapping my fingers. They followed me back inside and I didn’t even attempt to get a treat for them. Brendon came out of the bathroom and eyed me, noticing my shirt.

“I leave you alone for two minutes…” he suppressed a chuckle, shaking his head.

“I couldn’t reach my flip flops, also, I can’t reach the dog treats.” 

Brendon brushed past me and I became acutely aware that my breasts were standing at attention when his arm slightly grazed them in passing. I watched Brendon reach for the treats, pushing on his toes. He tossed them to the dogs then ran a hand through his hair as I stared at him, slowly shaking my head.

“What’s that look for?” He asked, a slow half smile forming.

I crossed my arms beneath my breasts and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Your body is pretty unreal,” I admitted.

“What?!” He lifted his eyebrows and laughed. Looking down at himself, he ran his hands over his chest and down his stomach. “This?”

I smirked, unamused. “Never mind, I’m going back to sleep.”

“Wait, wait, wait, what about it?” He reached out, grabbing my wrist as I began to turn down the hallway toward the stairs.

I shook my head. “Nuh-uh. Dangerous territory. I’m half asleep and still tipsy,” I laughed and broke away from his grasp.

Brendon followed, cutting me off at the base of the stairs, blocking me from going up. I laughed, placing my hand against his chest, attempting to shove him out of the way.

“Come on, tell me,” he urged, playfully, his eyes twinkling.

I sighed with my lips pursed. “First of all, this -” I swiped a finger down one side of the sexy V, doing the same on the other “- is incredibly rude. Unfair, really. You’re like the perfect Build-A-Boyfriend, the lean physique, the head full of incredible, floppy sex hair, and that fucking smile with those fucking lips. Like I said, it’s unreal.”

Brendon’s eyes were wide, taking in everything I said. His eyes had grown dark, and his sexy half smile dimpled as he reached out, caressing his fingers down the length of my arm. He skimmed his way down to my hand, teasing my fingers with his.

“Talk about unfair; you’re parading yourself practically topless in front of me but won’t let me touch you. You push me away when I get too close, and it’s fine. I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do, but it’s not easy holding myself back, Maggie.” He leaned over, his lips ghosting over my cheekbone. “Maybe I’m trying to seduce you. I have wanted to fuck you since kissing you at Pepper Jack’s.”

I turned my face, our lips centimeters away. His jaw was clenched and his nostrils flared. My lips parted and this time, I made the first move. I pressed against him, lips first, then hooked my fingers into the elastic band of his sweatpants, pulling him into me. The wet fabric of my shirt between us suddenly disappeared as Brendon tugged it off, our kiss breaking for half a second as he tore it off over my head.

Brendon brushed the hair away from my neck and began to pepper hungry kisses down my throat as he roughly cupped my breast. My hands grabbed whatever they could. One hand tugged his hair while the other dug into his back. Spinning us around, he led me up two steps, his lips now on my breasts. His tongue painted a warm path across one nipple before he took the other in his mouth, gently biting down before licking it. 

His eyes moved up to my face, enjoying my reactions. Bracing myself with my hands on his shoulders, I sighed as he sucked the skin in the valley between my breasts, leaving red marks. After the third love bite, Brendon ghosted his hands down my sides, over the curves of my hips. Dipping his fingers into the band of my pajama shorts, he tugged them down as he lowered himself to his knees. Realizing I had no panties on, his eyes shot up, and he gave me a devilish grin.

“Sit,” he whispered gruffly.

Obeying, I sat, the tiles of the steps cold against my bare skin. With the help of my elbows, I leaned back, resting them on a step. Brendon knelt on the steps below me and cupped my calf, pulling my leg up. Resting my heel on his shoulder, he kissed my shin and ran his other hand up my other leg. His fingers dug into my thigh as he kissed his way up, licking behind my knee, which was a sensation I’d never felt before.

I was already wet for him and found myself squirming as he moved closer to my center. As if he could sense my uneasiness, he moved forward, climbing over me, trapping me. He stayed between my legs, keeping them apart with his knees and he kissed my lips. Now I felt drunk with lust and never wanted his lips to leave mine.

Brendon’s hands went to my thighs, and his thumbs stroked my inner thighs, massaging their way up as he deepened our kiss. I held his face, stroking his tongue with mine. Over his shoulders, I ran my hands down his back and scraped my nails along his skin on the way back up. Brendon groaned with pleasure into my mouth, then took my lower lip between his teeth and tugged. 

Pulling back, he licked his lips, slightly shaking his head like he couldn’t believe his luck. I was having a hard time keeping my breathing steady. Brendon took his glasses off, and reached above me, placing them on a bare step. Trailing his fingers down the valley of my breasts, he skimmed them over my stomach, then kissed his way down the same path.

I couldn’t watch. I dropped my head back, resting it on the step above me. His hot breath brushed my inner thighs and he planted a wet kiss along the side of my cunt, moving closer to the heat of it. I felt his wide tongue take a greedy lick and I gasped. My fingers gripped an iron rail, holding on to keep from moving away. My other hand flew to my mouth, urging myself to keep quiet.

Daring myself to look down, I did and the sight of Brendon eating me out only turned me on more. I bit down on my lip and moaned. Brendon went harder, holding my legs apart, his grip on me straddling the line between painful and pleasurable.

Removing one hand, he looked at my face, watching as he rubbed his thumb over my clit. The sensation caused me to jolt but he didn’t stop. Slow torturous circles were soon replaced with shorter bursts as he used his other hand, coating two fingers with my wetness.

The intrusion felt so good and my head went back again as my lower back arched, raising myself closer to him. He pushed his fingers in deeper, stroking me. A fire lit inside of me was spreading. I felt inhuman, like some kind of celestial being ready to explode into stars.

“Bren,” I panted, my feet pushing on the steps. It was almost too much.

“Touch yourself,” Brendon commanded, his voice low and dark.

I closed my eyes and my hands immediately went to my breasts, squeezing them, rolling my nipples between my fingers. I focused on the climax building inside me, ignoring the edge of the step digging into my shoulder blades as my back arched even more.

“I-I can’t,” I groaned, looking down at him, the impending orgasm close to making me lose all motor skills. I tried to push away with my feet but Brendon wrapped a hand around my ankle, not letting me leave.

He removed his grip, hastily bringing his hand to my hip, determined to keep me right where he had me.

“You’re so flushed,” Brendon breathed. “Fuck, you’re beautiful. I want to make you come.”

My eyelids were so heavy, I felt like I barely had them open. I wanted to take a photo of the way he was looking at me. I couldn’t look away but at the same time, it was too overwhelming. The coiling heat within me began to unravel and I climaxed. Screwing my eyes shut, I cried out, wrapping my hand around the rail again. Brendon continued to pump his fingers into me, his thumb circling over my clit with broad strokes, slowing his actions as I came down from my high.

I felt spent and needed a minute. Catching my breath, I sat up, taking Brendon by surprise, kissing the cheeky smile off his perfect pink lips. My hands went to his face, cradling his jaw. Pushing my tongue past his lips, I kissed him hard, craving more of him.

Brendon moaned into me, then broke the kiss, standing to his feet. He held out a hand and I took it. As I rose to my feet, he placed the fingers that had been inside me between his lips, sucking them clean. He was pure porn and I didn’t know if my knees would allow me to move without buckling.

Grabbing his glasses, he put them on, grinning a lopsided grin like he was pleased with himself. “Go on,” he instructed. “Let’s get in bed.”

We rushed up and I reached behind me, taking his hand in mind, leading him toward the guest bedroom. He tugged on my hand, stopping me.

“My bed,” he said. “We’re fucking in my bed.” He pulled me into his arms, kissing my lips hard before lowly growling, “I want my sheets to smell like you.”

Brendon dipped me back, and playfully growled as he nipped my collarbone. He swept me up into his arms, and I angled his face toward mine, kissing him. He slowly and carefully carried me into his bedroom before dropping me to the bed. I giggled, bouncing in place once.

The room was dark but the moon cast plenty of light necessary through the balcony door, an ethereal glow adding an air of romance to the scene.

“It seems this is becoming a nightly thing,” Brendon cocked his head, amused.

“No complaints here,” I mewed, raising my arms, meeting my hands together behind my head. My knees were bent, pressed together, and my ankles crossed. The moonlight made my skin appear flawless.

Brendon chuckled, “Oh, I’m not complaining one bit.”

“Then stop staring at me, and come here,” I suggested.

A sneering smile crossed his lips and using his thumbs, he pushed down his sweatpants, an obvious erection bobbing free in the darkness of the room. 

“We match,” he joked, climbing into the bed, finally naked together.

I snickered, moving over to give him space, but he wrapped his arm around my lower back, pulling me closer to him. Brendon propped himself up on his elbow and lowered his lips to mine. I threw my leg over him, and shifted even closer until I pushed myself up against him. Brendon fell back and I rolled on top of him, straddling him with my legs on either side of him. Our kissing never ceased. He dug his hands into my hair, and I took one hand and caressed my way down his chest, reaching between us to grip him.

Pushing away from him, I broke the kiss, wanting to watch his face. With his eyes still closed, his brows frowned but a smile played at his lips. He was so soft and silky in my hand. I gripped him more firmly and moved my hand up and down slowly, increasing the tempo as he sighed. 

I licked my lips, incredibly aroused by the look on his face, just knowing it was because of what I was doing to him. Brendon’s lips parted and I leaned over and swept my tongue over his lower lip, then kissed him hard.

“Mmm, Maggie, sit on me,” he groaned as I jerked him more roughly.

I shushed him with a kiss. “Not yet,” I whispered, and began to move my way down, snuggling myself between his legs.

Making sure he was watching, I gripped him and slowly lowered my lips over the head of his cock. His lips twitched as I took as much of him in as I could, sweeping my tongue over his shaft as I came back up. Enjoying the look he was giving me, I grew hungry, wrapping my lips around him and sucking my way back up. 

Brendon balled his hands into fists, bringing them to his forehead but he never looked away. I smirked and continued, beginning to bob faster.

“Jesus,” he growled out softly as I gave him a final suck before crawling back over him. He cupped my face, crashing my lips to his before running his hands down my sides, guiding me to sit on his lap.

I sat up, straddling him again and he rested both hands on my ass, his eyes wildly taking in my form. Brushing my hair from my face, I licked my lips again.

“Please tell me you have a condom,” I begged, nearly breathless.

“I’m clean, if you’re clean,” he moved his hands up and down my thighs.

“It’s not that, I’m not very consistent with my birth control pills,” I admitted, chewing my lip.

“Fuck,” he groaned, swiping his hands down his face. “Let me check, just… one second, hold on,” he patted my thigh, encouraging me to climb off of him.

Reluctantly, I fell to the bed as he rose up, digging through the nightstand. I waited, chewing my thumb nail, hoping he’d be able to find one. How could someone like him not have one on him at all times?

Brendon grimaced, slamming the small drawer of the nightstand closed. “I’ll be right back,” he bent down, bringing his sweats up, starting to step into them.

I laughed and held out a hand, stopping him. “Brendon, it’s like, three in the morning.”

“I don’t care, it’s LA, someone has a condom,” he raised his eyebrows, smiling. 

“B,” I coaxed him, “don’t leave. I’ll just fall asleep and it’ll have been for nothing.” I was disappointed, but I really didn’t want him to hunt down a condom, leaving me naked in bed.

Brendon stilled, closing his mouth. “B?” He cocked an eyebrow, then dropped his pants back to the floor.

I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. My jaw clenched and I wanted to scream at myself for calling him that.

“I like that,” he grinned slightly, his smile not reaching his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head. Then, after placing his glasses on the nightstand, reached for the bed sheets.

Lifting myself so he could pull them down, we both climbed into the sheets, facing one another. Brendon wrapped the comforter over my shoulders, then smiled.

“I can sleep in the guest bed,” I said softly, reaching up to push back his hair.

Brendon looked offended. “No way. Stay here with me.”

A million things were swimming in my head: Did I just out myself? Did he notice? Is he still too drunk to notice? 

Sighing, I rested my head on his extra pillow, caressing my thumb over his lips. He kissed it, giving me a small smile before pulling me close. He raised his head, gently resting his chin on top of my head and I could hear his heartbeat slowing, becoming more steady in our resting state.

“I could put it in your ass,” he said suddenly.

Laughing, I leaned back and looked up at him, seeing his smirk. “Go to sleep,” I kissed him, then returned to his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing until it became deeper and I knew he was asleep.

Carefully, I moved back and pulled the covers up his chest, snuggling against the pillow next to him. Brendon looked so peaceful and I focused on his face as I waited for sleep to come and take me too.


	17. Love Bites

A gentle breeze caused me to pull the comforter up to my shoulders. The sound of dogs barking roused me out of my sleep. I inhaled the fresh air coming through the balcony door, slowly opening my eyes. Last night felt like a dream and waking up in Brendon's bed brought back the butterflies in my stomach. I was alone in his bed but his spot was still warm. The sun was shining brightly and sunspots were twinkling in waves across the ceiling. The clock on the nightstand read 8:14 and I couldn't believe how dead to the world I must have been, especially in a strange bed.

Stretching, I hogged up the bed, reaching for each corner, my muscles aching deliciously. I pushed the covers down, and grinned realizing I had slept next to Brendon all night, naked. Three tiny purple love bites between my breasts made me blush and I ran my fingers over them.

The dogs barked again from outside. I sat up and looked around for some kind of cover, deciding on the afghan blanket tossed against the high back chair in the corner. Wrapping it over my shoulders, I made sure my important bits were covered, then stepped out onto the balcony where the sun gently kissed my exposed skin. It was a gorgeous morning.

The pool below sparkled in the morning sun, glistening like the surface was encrusted with diamonds. Brendon stood below me, scrolling through his phone with one hand, a mug in the other, wearing the same sweatpants from the evening before paired with a white v-neck and his glasses. His hair was a mess, which was exactly how I liked it. Frankie and Duke were running around in the grass, half chasing one another, half looking for unmarked territory.

I leaned against the railing and Brendon took a sip from his mug before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"Good morning," I shouted and he turned, looking up, shielding his eyes.

An adorable smile spread across his lips. "Good morning, indeed."

"You're up early," I pointed out, hugging the blanket to me. I felt it drop down my shoulder, but left it.

Brendon gestured to the dogs. "Believe it or not, Frankie let us sleep in, but Duke was whimpering so I came down to let them out. I made coffee," he lifted his mug, proudly. "I'll bring you some."

Stepping back inside, I gave him a short wave, then rushed into the master bathroom to freshen up, throwing the afghan back to the chair. I wanted to run across the hall to find my toothbrush but I didn't want to waste any time. Instead, I picked up Brendon's toothbrush, finding it wet from recent use and smirked realizing he must've brushed his as soon as he woke up. I put it back, feeling weird about using his toothbrush and settled on a stripe of toothpaste on my finger, rubbing it over my teeth as best as I could. I rinsed and spit, and combed my fingers through my hair.

I snuggled back into the bed, yanking the sheets up. The sun was warm, but the breeze coming in set off goosebumps all over my skin. Quickly, I cleared my eyes of any sleep, and pinched my cheeks, then felt self-conscious that Brendon was returning fully dressed while I was stark naked. I thought about quickly sprinting to the guest bedroom after all to grab my clothes, but I could hear Brendon and the dogs outside the door and just held the blanket to my chest instead.

The door was shoved open, and the dogs burst into the room, full of puppy-like energy. The both of them struggled to jump onto the bed, Brendon chuckling at the sight as he walked in with a mug in each hand. The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the air and I inhaled it, closing my eyes and smiling.

"Here, take both of these for a second." Brendon handed me the mugs and I pinched the blanket to my chest with my elbows, holding the mugs out to prevent spillage as he hoisted the dogs, one by one, to the bed.

The dogs threw themselves at me and I screeched with laughter, holding the mugs away as best as I could while keeping my chest covered. "Bren, help!"

Brendon grabbed the mugs, laughing, and I let myself fall back, covering my face with my hands as the dogs attacked me with kisses.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Brendon chuckled, pushing the dogs off of me gently. They jumped to the floor, their back ends wiggling with excitement.

Brendon propped up his pillows before sitting, then picked up the mugs off the nightstand, handing one to me. I propped myself up on my elbow and took a sip, the warmth spreading through me quickly. I hummed with happiness and looked up at Brendon to find him smiling down at me.

"Why are you hiding?"

"I'm naked," I said softly, stating the obvious. "And cold.

Brendon smirked, then placed his mug back on the nightstand. He reached up behind his head and pulled his shirt off in one swift movement, handing it to me. As he held onto my mug, I sat up and quickly threw his shirt on over my head and pulled it down, but not before his eyes dropped to the hickeys between my breasts. Before he could react, I thanked him as I took my mug back, taking a bigger sip.

"Feeling more human?" he asked. I noticed his cheeks beginning to pink.

I pulled my legs out of the blankets, crossing them at the ankles, and nodded. "Could you imagine a world without coffee?"

"How dare you put that idea into my head," Brendon lazily smiled as he reached for his mug. "Are you busy today?"

I replied with a groan. "I have to work in a few hours."

"Damn. So do I. I have to get promo photos taken today for something I'm doing in New York in a couple weeks. I was going to see if you wanted to come with, but, work."

Bells rang in my head, and even though I knew what he was talking about, I prodded for more. "What's in New York?"

"I'm doing a live recording of some songs for Spotify at their headquarters. A few of my songs and a cover, which I still haven't decided on."

"That sounds like a lot of fun."

He nodded, taking a sip. "It will be. I'm looking forward to it."

"Will your whole band be doing it?"

"No, just me." He held his mug in his lap, his fingers strumming over the sides. "At the risk of making things awkward, I want to apologize for marking you."

I glanced at him, confused.

"The hickeys on your chest. That was really uncool of me, and I'm sorry," he chuckled nervously, giving me a half smile.

"I'm not. But if it makes you feel any better, I could return the favor. Then we can both be uncool," I teased.

He let out a short laugh as his eyes grew darker. "Where?" He pulled his lip in between his teeth, slowly releasing it with another short laugh.

Something switched inside of me, something that had been slowly growing the second he walked back into the room. I felt an ache for him and sitting together in bed was akin to torture. I placed my mug on the nightstand on my side, then climbed out of the bed. The hem of Brendon's shirt brushed just below my ass as I padded to the bedroom door and opened it, shooing the dogs out of the room. 

Turning back to the bed, my eyes met Brendon's. As I made my way back to him, he scrambled to place his mug on his nightstand, then pulled me to him as soon as I climbed back into the bed.

Our mouths hungrily clashed, teeth nipping lips, tongues tasting every inch. Brendon yanked his shirt up over my ass and he roughly grasped me, pulling me on top of him. I brace myself against him with my hands on his shoulders as we kissed. I felt his hard on straining against his sweats and I teased him by rocking myself over it, the sensation causing me to moan into his mouth.

I knew I was growing wet, but he had taken such good care of me last night and I really wanted to return the favor. He groaned with disappointment as I stopped grinding myself against him. I giggled and began to kiss his jawline, the stubble rough and coarse against my lips. I licked a path down his neck and lowered myself to his chest, kissing and nipping him. I paid attention to one of his nipples, swirling my tongue over it before gently closing my teeth around it.

Brendon groaned, clenching his jaw. HIs fingers dug into my backside, only encouraging me. My lips moved to the center of his chest and I began to suck on his skin as I reached between us, feeling his erection in my hand. The fabric of his sweatpants were slightly damp from me. I stroked him lightly as I moved down his chest, copying the same marks he left on me. He ran his fingers across the back of my scalp, and I shivered, cupping my hand more firmly over him, applying more friction.

Satisfied with my work on his chest, I beamed, bringing my eyes up to his. His were the darkest I'd ever seen them, so focused on what was being done to him. I felt my heart lurch in my chest, the sudden desire to make him groan out my name overwhelming me. Quickly, I moved down in between his legs. I wrapped my fingers around the band of his pants and began to tug them down, with his help. Dropping my mouth to him, Brendon's head fell back with an eager groan as his hands held onto my hair.

***

I rested my head against Brendon's shoulder with his arm around me as he breathed heavily. He squeezed me against him into a hug, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I danced my fingers over his chest, lazily circling the marks I had made. Brendon kissed the top of my head again, taking a deep breath, smelling my hair, then groaned.

"Pancakes?" He asked, his voice slightly muffled with his face in my hair.

I glanced up, looking into his sleepy eyes, and smiled. "Mmm, yes."

Downstairs, with Brendon in a different pair of sweatpants, I followed him into the kitchen, finding my shirt and shorts from last night folded on the island. Brendon hooked his phone up to a docking station and music began to play, filling the air with soft rock. Duke ran up to me from a dish of dog food next to Frankie's dish, greeting me with a bark. I knelt down and hugged his big round head, planting a kiss above his wet nose. Frankie bounded over and I scratched underneath her chin, also kissing her.

"Sweet babies," I gushed, and stood.

We had both brought our mugs with us and together we stood against the counter, refreshing our coffees, the spoons dinging against the sides as we mixed in creamer and sugar.

"So, pancakes," I raised a brow, feeling my stomach beginning to whine for sustenance.

Brendon grinned, mid sip. He planted his mug on the counter and opened the cabinets above us, pulling out canisters of flour and sugar, as well as baking powder, salt, and a bag of chocolate chips.

"Oooh," I moaned, impressed with his decision. 

Brendon pulled down some mixing bowls and instructed me to get the milk and eggs out of the fridge. Turning to the island, he bent down, opening a drawer, pulling out a griddle, plugging it in along the wall above the counter next to the stove. Frankie and Duke sat in our way, eyes big and sparkling, waiting to be fed whatever we had on hand.

Brendon told me where to find the measuring cups and I measured out the milk while he put the dry ingredients together. I cracked the eggs and Brendon dug out the chips of eggshell that got into the batter, chuckling as I cringed. 

"I think you can handle the rest," I laughed, embarrassed. "I'll just stay out of your way."

I took my mug and, stepping over the dogs, sat at the island, tucking Brendon's long shirt under my butt as best as I could, crossing my legs. Brendon stirred the batter on the tabletop of the island, scraping the sides of the bowl as well before picking up the chocolate chips.

"How bad is your sweet tooth?" He asked, tearing the end of the bag open.

"I work at a diner called The Donut Hole," I narrowed my eyes at him with a tight-lipped grin. "Don't hold back."

Brendon snickered, pouring half of the bag in, then mixed it up before buttering up the griddle.

We enjoyed the music as Brendon made the pancakes, expertly flipping them when the time came.

"I really wish you could come to the photoshoot today. Any chance you could call in sick?" Brendon asked sweetly, looking over his shoulder. I had to pry my eyes away from his ass.

I considered it but I couldn't lie to Steve and pretend I was sick and there was no way I could tell him the truth, that I wanted to miss work to watch a rockstar strike a pose or two. He'd laugh and make me come in anyway.

Frowning, I shook my head. 

"Had to try," he grinned, returning to the pancakes. 

A new song began to play, I've Got You Under My Skin. Brendon reacted, snapping his fingers, flipping the final pancake, then turned to me. Frank Sinatra crooned and Brendon mouthed the words and I laughed at his obnoxious behavior.

"I fucking love this song," he gushed, holding out his hand. I looked at it, shaking my head. "Come on, don't leave me hanging. You can't not dance to this. It's a sin in this house, Maggie. I won't stand for it. Frankie won't stand for it." Frankie barked once, as if agreeing.

I playfully scoffed and hopped down off the stool, pulling the hem of my shirt down before he yanked me to him. We swayed, Brendon guiding my hips, then spinning me outward, pulling me back in quickly. 

"Maybe I'll do this song," he thought aloud, holding my hand to his chest. "For New York, I mean."

"You'll do great," I said softly, peering into his dark brown eyes. "Can't wait to hear it."

Brendon slowly smiled and sang along, "Don't you know, little fool, you never can win. Use your mentality, wake up to reality, but each time I do, just the thought of you makes me stop before I begin... 'Cause I've got you under my skin."

He pressed his lips to my cheek, then spun me away, laughing as he returned to the pancakes. I anchored myself back against the island, watching him as he continued to sway in place to the beat, the big band music booming louder. Scooping up the pancakes with a spatula, he plated them, bringing them to the island. After placing them in front of the stools, he returned to the fridge, grabbing more butter and a bottle of syrup. I sipped my coffee as he warmed the syrup in the microwave, then brought it over.

I sat back in my seat as he grabbed silverware out of another drawer and handed me a fork and knife.

"These look incredible," I said earnestly, pouring syrup over mine. 

"Thanks for your help."

"Sorry if you get a crunch of egg shell," I laughed, taking a bite.

Brendon cut into his stack with a grin. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I got them all." He took a bite, then began chewing like he had a mouthful of glass, his eyes full of humor.

I shoved his shoulder, laughing with my mouth full of pancakes. "You're horrible," I cried out, half laughing.

He doubled over, smacking his hand on my thigh, laughing at his joke. 

"You're so mean to me," I giggled, taking another bite. I nearly called him 'B' again, catching myself. I kept waiting for him to bring last night up, anxiety making me paranoid, but he never did, and I sure as hell wasn't going to. Either it wasn't a big deal, plenty of people called him B, or it didn't entirely sink in, in his drunken state.

Brendon left his hand on my leg and we enjoyed our breakfast, starting with small talk about the dogs and then onto more serious topics, like our families. I didn't talk about my family often, but when he told me about his strict religious upbringing, he made me think of my dad. Brendon listened intently whenever I spoke, his brows furrowed in concentration.

"He's a man of few words, unless it's Sunday morning," I confided, nursing my coffee mug.

Brendon smiled sympathetically. "I know the type. Let me guess, you're the big disappointment of the family?"

"Oh, you know it." I lowered my voice to a whisper. "I don't even attend church anymore."

He snickered, lowering his voice to match mine. "Sundays are my favorite days for sinning."

I held back a laugh, taking another bite, mulling over my thoughts.

"I so badly want to prove my family wrong by making it out here, but, god. I'm losing my drive, wondering if they've been right this whole time."

Brendon squeezed my thigh. "Don't give up. The ones who do make it are the ones who keep pushing through it all, the good and the bad. Trust me."

"I do," I said, giving him a small smile.


End file.
